A N
ESSAY
O N
SPIRIT.
Inanlmatum eji omne quod impulfu agitur externa : quod autem Anima eft, id Motu cietur interiore et fuo,
Cic. Som. Scip.
DUBLIN:
Printed by S. Powell,
For J. P. Droz, in Dame-ftreef, over-againft George'^- lane. MDCCL.
[iii]
T O
HIS GRACE
GEORGE,
LORD PRIMATE
OF ALL
IRELAND.
MY LORD,
AS I am a Clergyman of the eftablifhed Church, and have for fome Years been poffefled of an Ecclefiaftical Preferment, in* to which, before I could be admit-
A z ted,
iv DEDICATION.
ted, I was obliged to fubfcribe the four firfl: Canons, which include my Afient to the Articles of our Religion, and alfo to declare pub- licly my unfeigned Afleut and Con- fent to all and every thing, contai- ned in The Book of Cojiunon-Prayer : And, as I have not been fo much employed about my temporal Af- fairs, but that I have found Leifure to apply fome Time to my Books, and to think as well as read ; I find that I do not now agree ex- actly in Sentiment, either with my former Opinions, or with thofe Per- fons who drew up the Articles of our Religion, or with the Compi- lers of cur Liturgy, and, in parti- cular, with the Athaiiaftan Creed : And therefore I have laboured un- der
DEDICATION. v
der fome Difficulties, how to dired: myfelf under thefe Circumftances.
There was a Sermon preached not many Years ago by Dodor Co- 7tybear^ before the Univerlity of Oxford^ which feems to have been approved of by them ; and which hath iince been reprinted in Ire- landj wherein he afferts that every one who fubfcribes the Articles oi Religion, does thereby engage, not only not to difpute or contradid: them ; but that his Subfcription amounts to an Approbation of, and an Affent to the Truth of the Doc- trine therein contained, in the very Senfe which the Compilers thereof are fuppofed to have underftood them : That they are not to be con-
fidered
vi DEDICATION.
fidered as Articles of Peace, but of Do(5trine, as the very Title denotes, whicK is, For the avoiding Diver- Jtties of OpijtionSy and for eftahlifh- ing Co7ife7it touching true Religion, Whereas I apprehend any Attempt tov/ards avoiding Diverfity of Opi- nions, not only to be an ufelefs, but alfo an impradicable Scheme ; fince I do not only doubt whether the Compilers of the Articles, but even whether any two thinking Men ever agreed exa(9:ly in their Opinion, not only with regard to all the Articles, but even with regard to any one of them ; fo that if they were to give their own Interpretation of them, there would be found as many diffe- rent Sentiments as there were In- terpreters : The Difference indeed
would
DEDICATION. vii
would not always be great ; but ftill there would be a Difference.
I faid thinking Men^ for, as to the unthinking Herd, whatever was the Creed of their Father, or Tu- tor, that will be theirs, from their Infancy, to their Lives End ; and accordingly, whatever Country you go into, let the Religion be what it will, the unthinking Part there- of are always the reputed Ortho- dox.
An Uniformity of Profeffton may indeed be both practicable and ufe- fuil ; and feems in fome Degree to be neceffary, not only for the Pre- fervation of Peace, but alfo for the general Good and Welfare of So- ciety :
viii DEDICATION,
ciety : Since I do not conceive how any Society or Commonwealth can fubfift, unlefs fome Form of Reli- gion or other be eftablifhed therein ; as well with regard to Points of Dodrine as Difcipline ; which how- ever ought to be as plain, few, and fundamental as polTible. And as no eftablifhed Form of Relio-ion can fubfift, unlefs that Form be pub- licly made known, and the Tea- chers thereof are laid under fome Obligation, either by Subfcription, or otherwife, of complying with that Form, and of not preaching, or publicly teaching any Dod:rine contrary thereto ; fo I own I do not fee any Manner of Impropriety in the legiflative Power of any So- ciety infifting upon fuch a Kind of
Subfcription,
DEDICATION. ix
Subfcription, as is only required to be made for Peace-fake, and the Prefervation of the outward Forms of Society : Since a Man under thefe Circumflances may, for pru- dential Reafons, honeflly fubfcribe and fubmit to the Ufe of one efta- bliflied Form, though he, in his own private Opinion, may think ano- ther to be better \ provided that he is not obliged to fubfcribe any thing finful ; or fo diametrically oppofite to Truth, as that he can- not poffibly put any other Con- ftrudion upon it.
The firft Subfcription, that I kaow of, was fet on Foot at the Council of Nice^ when the famous Conteft about the Trinity was de-
a ter mined
X DEDICATION.
termined in Favour of the confub- Jiantial Dodirine, by a Majority of near twenty to one : To which the Emperor required all the Bifhops then prefent to fubfcribe. But then he allowed every one to put their ov/n Senfe upon the Word confub- fiaittial^ and not the Senfe that was intended by the Compilers of the Creed : And accordingly, Eufebius Bifhop of Ccefarea^ though he at firft refufed fubfcribing, yet when he was allowed to interpret the Word confub jiantial^ as meaning only, that the So?j was not of the fa77ie Sub fiance with the Creatures that were made by him • he then fubfcribed it, and fo, in a little Time after, did Arius.
Peace
DEDICATION. xi
Peace was what the Emperor wanted, and therefore he was con- tent with Peace : But from the Time that Power was put into the Hands of the Church of Rcms^ im- pHcit Faith and Obedience to her infalKble Determinations, being what fhe required ; unlefs Subfcriptions were then to be underftood as made according to the Senfe of the Com- pilers of the Articles, the Recu- fants were anathem.atifed, and Fire and Faggot was the Word.
But as I apprehend that the Church of Irela?id doth not fet up for Infallibility, I do not think that fhe requireth any other Kind of Subfcription than fuch as is necef- a 2 fary
xii DEDICATION.
fary for Peace and Quietnefs : And therefore I am now not much dif- turbed upon this Head. I likewife find by the Words of the Ad of Parliament, which enjoins the De- claration of our Affent and Con- fent to all Things contained in The Book of Common-Prayer^ that the Purport and Intent of the Ad is that this Declaration of Affent fliould be only to the Ufe of thofe Things which are contained in the faid Book, which is very different from affenting to the Things them- felves : And therefore 1 am prettv eafy alfo with regard to this.
How thefe Words, to the Ufe of came to be omitted out of the ex- prefs Form of Words that are or- dered
DEDICATION. xiii
dered to be read in Church for a legal Qualification, I cannot fay^ nor whether they were omitted out of Negled, or by Defign : but I own it feems to me, when 1 confi- der the Humour of the Times when that Ad: was made, that it was done with Defign ; as a Snare, to oblige poor (i) confcientious Men, who did not read the A3: of Par- liament at length, to give up their Livings, rather than declare their unfeigned Affent and Confent to all and every thing contained in Tie Book of Common- Praj'er, For it is to be obi'erved, that this Condition was not required by the y4cl of
(i) And accordingly, there were 1800 Per- fons that were adually deprived of their Livings, rather than lubmit to the Terms prefcribed.
Uniformity^
xiv DEDICATION.
Uniformity^ as publiflied in the Time of Queen Elizabeth^ but was an Addition made thereto, af- ter the Reftoration of King Charles the Second, when the Nation was, as it were, mad with the Joy of havino; recovered its ancient Confti- tution both in Church and State : The httle Oath therefore wherein it was declared, that it is 72ot law^ fuly upon a7iy Pretence what/oever^ to take Arras agai?ijl the King^ was at the fame time inferred into the ASi of Uniformity, Which Part of that hdi hath been fmce repea- led ; and indeed I cannot but j(in- cerely wifh, that the other Addi- tion, which was made at the fame time, was fo far redified, that the Words of the Declaration fliould
be
DEDICATION. xv
be made to correfpond with the Defign of the Ad:, which mani- feftly was, to require the Declara- tion of Affent and Confent only to the Ufe of all and every thing con- tained in The Book of Commoi^-Pray- er. Becaufe I think that that folemn Declaration which a Clergyman is obliged to make in the Prefence of God and his Congregation, when he is going to take upon himfelf the Care of their Souls, ought to be lirnple, pofitive, plain ; free from all Ambiguity or Doubtfulnefs ; and (hould be exprefled in fuch a Manner, as that it cannot be mif- underftood, either by him, or by the Congregation ; but that he may fafely and honeftly make it, accor- ding to that plain a7id ordinary
Senfe
xvi DEDICATION.
Senfe of the TVords^ in which they would commonly be underjlood by all Mankind, without any Evajion^ Equivocation^ or mental Eeferva- tion whatfoever ; that is, without any latent Reference to the Inten- tion of the Ad, which is not ex- preffed in the very Words of the Declaration.
And indeed I am the more defi- rous of this, becaufe I know for a Certainty, that fome of the moft learned and confcientious Perfons among the Diffenters, have made the Form of our Declaration of un- feigned Affent and Confent to all and every thing contained in The Book of Commoji-Prayerj an Ob-
jedion,
DEDICATION, xvu
jedion, if not the principal one, againft coming into our Church.
As alfo becaufe fome of our own Brethren, who confider Subfcrip- tions in the fame Light with the bigot ted Members of the Church of Rome^ and probably never read, or never duly confidered the AB of Uniformity^ have taken Occafion, from that Form of Declaration of Affent, to brand thofe, who pre- fume to doubt, or differ from them in any of their imaginary orthodox Notions, with the Imputation of Perjury, or, at leaft, of Hypocri-
But though we fhould fuppofe
this was done, and that Subfcrip-
b tions
xviii DEDICATION.
tions were declared to be only re- quired for Peace-fake ; yet there is ftill a Dijfficulty which remains be- hind, with regard to thofe who do not ,approve of all the Articles of the eftablifhed Religion, or of every thing in the Liturgy ; becaufe it is natural for them to defire that thofe Things, which they take to be Errors fhould be amended ; and yet it is found by Experience, that whoever attempts to find Fault with the Canons or the Articles of Reli- gion, or the eftablifhed Form of Liturgy, becomes immediately a Difturber of the Peace of the Church, as he is fure, at leaft, to be loaded with the opprobrious Name of Schtfmatk^ or Heretic^ which ever fmce the Days of Po-
pery,
DEDICATION. xix
pery^ are Sounds that occafion won- drous Horror in the Ears of the Vulgar.
Whoever confiders the Difficul- ties which attend the Reformation of ReHgion in general, and in par- ticular, the Difficulties which at- tended thefe Nations in their Re- formation from Popery^ ought to thank God that fo much was done at that Time as was done, rather than repine that more was not ef- feded. The Humour of the Times would not fuffer a more thorough Reformation ; thefe Nations ha- ving been fo- long accuftomed to a Kind of utter Darknefs, that their Eyes would not bear too much Light to be let in at once.
b 2 Chriftianity
XX DEDICATION.
Chriftianity was not eftablifliedj nor the Jewijh Religion thorough- ly reformed all on a Sudden. Af- ter St. Paul had been many Years a Preacher of the Gofpel, he com- plied with the jfewijh Ceremony of (2} Jljaving his Head in Cenchreay hecaufe he was under a Vow ; and of (3) purifying himfelf at the Temple of yerufalem^ rather than give Offence to the Jews. And the whole Council of Apoftles, when af- fembled at Jerufakm^ affented to en- join thofe (4) JewiJIj Profelytes, who from among the Gentiles^ were tur- ned unto God, to continue for fome
(2) A£is xviii. i.
(3) A5fs xxi. 24.
(4) A^s XV. 19. XX. 29.
time
DEDICATION. xxi
time under a Prohibition from ea» ting Things ftrangled, and from Blood, which hath been long fmce difcontinued. And our Saviour him- felf was pleafed to declare, that he concealed many Truths, till the Difciples fhould be able to bear them, John xyi. 12.
The prefent Conftitution of thefe Kingdoms, both in Church and State, is, in my fincere Opinion, the befl: in the known World ; but I will not fay, that it is not capable of being ftill further amended. What then is to be done ? For if the Church be not infallible any more than the State, why may not that be amended as well as the State ?' And why fhould we be
more
xxii DEDICATION.
more afraid of breaking the Peace of the Church than of the State ? The Peace of the one being full as neceflfary to be preferved as the Peace of the other.
The Chrifttan Religion was, at its fir ft Propagation, called a (5) Herefy ; and therefore (t;) St. Paul^ in his Apology to Felix ^ faid, T'his I co7ifefs^ that after the Way which they call Heresy, fo worjhip I the God of my Fathers, Which De- nomination was continued to it, fo long as to the Time of Conjlan- tine the Great, who in his Epiftle to Chrefius Bifhop of Syracufe^ calls
(5) A5ls xxviii. 22.
(6) A^s xxiv. 5, 14. _
the
DEDICATION, xxiii
the Chrijlian Religion the (7) Ca* tholic Herefy : Which Letter was written after the Emperor had de- clared in Favour of Chrtjltanity,
Kipidih according to Stephens^ fig- nifies, in general, the fame thing with the Latin Words SeBa and Dogma^ that is, a SeB or Opinion. And accordingly, he reckons up ten Seds or Herefies of the ancient Philofophers. But among the Ec- clefiaftical Writers, fays he, it fig- nifies an Opinion, or SeB that is C07ttrary to the orthodox Faith, But as the eftablifhed Religion of every Country is that which confti-
(7) T^ aiffVtwj TBj K9^iK\Kh<i, Eufeb. Hilt. Eccl. lib. X. cap. ^,
tutes
xxiv DEDICATION.
tates Orthodoxy^ according to the common Senfe of the Word ; hence it is, that they who diiFer and fe- parate therefrom are generally cal- led Hereticks ; and hence it comes to pafs, that a Perfon may be ef- teemed as very orthodox in Eng- land or Ireland^ who would be deemed as an Heretic at Rome^ or in other Countries. And for the fame Reafon it was, that the Chrif- tians were at firft called Hereticks in yiidcea^ becaufe they feparated from the Jewijh^ which was the eftabliflied Religion of the Coun- try ; and were alfo called Heretics in RomCy becaufe they refufed joi- ning with the Heathen^ which was the then eftabliflied Religion there.
It
DEDICATION, xxv
It is therefore polTible that an Heretic may be in the right ; ac- cording to the original Senfe of the Word. It is alfo pofTible that he may be in the wrong. And there- fore St, Peter fays, (8) "There are falfe Teachers among yoUy who pri- vily Jhall bring in damnable Here- fieSy even denying the Lord that bought them. And St. Paul fays, (9) / hear there are Schifms among you ; and I partly believe it : For
THERE MUST BE ALSO HERESIES, that
they which are approved may be made manifefl. Now there is no other Neceffity for Herefies being among them but this ; that God
(8) 2 Pet. ii. I.
(9) I Cor. xi. 18, 19.
c did
xxvi DEDICATION.
did not frame human Nature in fiich a Manner as to neceffitate all Men to be of one Mind ; but ha- ving made Mankind to be free Agents, he left them in the Hand of their ow7t Council^ to dhufe their own Opinions for themfelves ; ac- cording to the Merit or Demerit of which Choice, they will be proper Subjects for Rewards or Punifh- ments. And therefore, while this Conftitution of human Nature re- mains, there 7niiji be Schifms, Di- vifions, Herefies, or a Diverfity of Sects among them. And as all Man- kind think themfelves to be in the Right, fo they naturally conclude all thofe who differ from them to be in the Wrong ; and hence it comes to pafs, that the Word He--
retic
DEDICATION, xxvii
ret'tc is generally ufed in a bad Senfe, though becaufe a Perfon is an Here- tic, or is of a different Sect from the eftablifhed ReUgion, it does by no Means follow, that therefore he muft be in the Wrong. If the Perfons from whom he differs fhould be in- fallible, as it is allowed the Apof- tles were, then indeed it would fol- low, of Confequence, that the He- retic or Separatift muft be in an Error. And if, after Inftru6lion and Admonition, he will not amend, it is then fit, he fhould be ejected, or excommunicated out of the So- pety of the Faithful, left his Ex- emption from Punifliment fhould give Encouragement to the Seduc- tion of others ; for though it can- not be fuppofed that his Excommu- c I nication
xxviil DEDICATION.
nication will amend himfelf, yet it may contribute to fave other Per- fons.
And hence it is, that St. Paul^ in his Advice to Titus ^ fays, A Man that is an Heretic, after the fir ft and fecG72d Admonition, rejeEi % knowi7ig that he that is fuch, is fub^- verted, and f?meth, being co?idemned of hifufelf. Which Admonition and Rejection fhews the Crime of Herefy to confift in an Error of the Will, rather than of the Judg- ment ; for otherwife Titus would have been directed to inftrud fuch a Perfon, rather than to admonifh him. But as it is to be fuppofed that Information and Inftradion would be firft tried by Titus, even
before
DEDICATION, xxix
before the firft Admonition, there- fore it is the Perverfenefs of his Will, in ftill periifling in his SeA or Herefy after Admonition, that feems to be the Caufe and Founda- tion of his Excommunication : For, lays St. Paulj fuch a one is fub- verted from the Faith, and Jinneth^ by perfevering therein after Admo- nition ; and is felf- condemned j as having no Excufe of Ignorance to plead after his being admonifhed thereof : He may indeed not be felf'Condemned with regard to his Error, becaufe he may not be con- vinced that he is in an Error ; but may think himfelf to be in the right, when he is in the wrong : Whereas, with regard to his Here-
XXX DEDICATION,
fy, or Separation from the Church to which he belonged, he cannot be ignorant thereof, after Admoni- tion, for differing from the Senft of the Church ; and therefore if he perfijfts therein after being admo- nifhed, he muft be felf-co7idemnedy with regard to his Perfeverance in Oppofition to the Church,
And as every legiilative Power is fo far infalHble, as it is the dernier Refort, and only Judge now left upon Earth, of what is right and wrong, within the Limits of it's own Jurifdiction ; therefore when any Form of Religion hath been once eftablifhed, they who feparate therefrom, or act in direct Oppo^ fijtion to it's Commands, are to be
treated
DEDICATION, xxxi
treated as if fuch legillative Power was infallible ; and if they will not fubmit, upon Admonition, are to be rejected, to prevent others from being feduced, and to pre- ferve the Peace of Society.
By which Rejection, or Excom- munication, I do not mean an Exclufion from civil Rights, and the Protection of the Civil Magif- trate, but only from the outward and vifible Communion of the Church, and its faithful Members, and all the particular Benefits which pro- perly belong thereto, or may refult therefrom ; from which, as it is by their own Choice that they differ, in difobeying its Rules, or rejec- ting its Communion, it can be no
Injuftice
xxxii DEDICATION.
Injuftice that they fhould be ex- cluded, if they ftill perlift in their Difobedience after Admonition.
Since therefore it appears, that a Man's being of a wrong Opinion is not that which properly denomi- nates him an Heretic^ but rather his being of a different Opinion from the Majority ; one would be apt to wonder why that Word, in general, fhould have fo bad an Idea annexed to it • but that the Anfwer thereto is obvious, viz. That it arifes from our having too great a Fondnefs for ourfelves, and our own Opinions ; and too great an '\verfion to thofe who differ in Opinion from us.
There
DEDICATION, xxxiii
There is indeed no Reafon to be alligned in general, why Men fhould be more difpleafed with one ano- ther for being of different Opinions, than for their being of different Sizes, or for having a different per- fonal Appearance. And were it not that Experience convinces us of the Matter of Fad:, it would be hard to believe that Men's Paf- fions could carry them to that De- gree of Animofity againft each other, on Account of Opinions barely fpeculative, which we find pradifed in all Countries, and al- moft all Ages.
I can very well conceiv^e why Men fhould contract an Averfion,
d and
xxxiv DE DIG At I ON.
and an Hatred for one another^ about Opinions where their tempo- ral Interefts are concerned ; and do not wonder, when I read that (i) De7netrtus the Silverfmith raifed a Tumult againft Paul at Ephefus^ for faying, that they be no Gods vjhkh are made with Ha?tds^ be- caufe, by this bold AiTertion, as Demetrius acknowledged, this Craft was in Danger to be fet at nought, and ye hio-do^ Sirs^ laid he, that by this Craft we have our Wealth.
But it is not fo eafy to account, why one Man fhould bear an ill Will to his Neighbour, or any of his Fellow- Creatures, for being of
(i) A^s xix. 24.
a different
DEDICATION, xxxv
a different upinion from him in Matters barely ipeculative, in which the otner is no Way concerned, further than as he is a (2) Man, and a Lover of Mankind. In which Refped every Body ought to be fo far concerned for his Fellow-Crea- ture as to do all that lies in his Power to contribute to the Happi- nefs of each other ; but then this is to be done in a proper, kind, and friendly Manner : And, if that will not prevail, contrary Methods ought by no Means to be attempted ; fmce that Principle which directs us to ufe all Men well, can never vindi- cate us in ufing any Man ill.
V
(2) Homo fumy humani nihil a me alienum futo,
d I If
xxxvi DEDICATION.
If one Man is a Ghrtjiian^ and another is a Jew^ Turk^ or Infidel of any Denomination, there can be no more Reafon for havino; a Dif- like upon that Account to each other, than becaufe they were not all born in the fame Country, or bred up under the fame Tutor, or do not all fpeak the fame Lan- guage ; fince ninety-nine in an hundred of thofe who are Chri- Jiians^ would probably have been Mahometans^ if they had been born in Turhey^ and would have imbi- bed their Religion, as they do their native Tongue, along with their Mother's Milk : And the fame may be faid of ^Jews or Mahometans^ that they would have been Chri-
Jitans^
DEDICATION, xxxvii
fi'ia7is^ if they had been born in a Chriftian Country, and of Chri-- Jiian Parents.
If it pleafes the Almighty to endow one Man with a better Un- derftanding, or greater natural Abi- lities of any Kind, than his Neigh- bour, to appoint the Place of his Birth, where he has better Oppor- tunities of being informed in true Religion, or to produce him from fuch Parents as will take care that he is better educated in the Paths of Virtue ; thefe are Bleffings for which he ought to be thankful to his Creator j but are far from be- ing any Reafbn, why he fhould bear an ill Will to thofe Perfons, who have not received the fame
Advantages
xxxviii DEDICATION.
Advantages from Providence ; or why he lliould not live in a kind and neighbourly Manner with them, though he thinks them in an Error with regard to their religious Prin- ciples,
And yet Experience convinces us, that the Conduct of Mankind is quite otherwife ; which can be attributed to nothing but a vicious Pride in our Nature, which makes us not content with the Applaufe of our own Confcience, when we think ourfelves in the Right, un- lefs we have the Applaufe of others alfo : And renders us follicitous to gain Followers and Admirers, at ^he fame Time that it gives us an
Aver lion
DEDICATION, xxxix
Averlion for every one that difFers in Opinion from us.
Athanafius^ in Anfwer to this Queftion. no^-fj/ AsVslai "A/^ogo-is ; unda dicitur Hcerefis f Saith, Atto tb dipa^dt
m 'iS'^ov, xoci Tela l^ccycoXa^eiy. Ao ellgen-^
do @^ frofequejido Sententtam fuam privatam. So that the conceiving of Error is not that which confti- tutes the Crime of Herefy, but the profecuting and perfevering in it, to the railing of a Party-j and exciting Follower Sy whence alfo the Word SeB is derived ; and for this Reafon it is that St. Paul reckons up He- rejies among fach (3) Works of the Flefli, as Hatred^ Variance^ Emula-
(3) Gal V. 20, 21.
tionsj
X
1 DEDICATION.
tionSy Wrath^ Strife^ SeditionSy EnvyingSy Murders^ and fuch Itke^ as it is near of Kind to them, and may be the Foundation and Gaufe of them.
What then is it the Duty of any Perfon to do, who is the profeffed Member of any eftablifhed Church, if he fees, or imagines he fees, any Errors, either in the Doctrine or Difciphne of that Church ? Muft he, for Fear of difturbing the Peace of the Church, and being deemed a Schifmatic, or Heretic, fit down quietly, and not endeavour to fet them to Rights ? Or, muft he fly off, and feparate immediately from it?
As
DEDICATION. xli
As to the Firft, if Men were not to declare their Opinions, in fpight of Eftabhfliments either in Church or State, Truth would foon be ba- nifhed the Earth. Error puts on fo much a fairer Outfide, ornaments itfelf with fo many plaulible Ap- pearances, and comes loaded with fo many Bribes to tempt us from our Duty ; that if Truth did not fbmetimes fhew itfelf and exert its Abilities in its own Defence, the World would be foon over-run with Error, as an uncultivated Garden with Weeds. Of which the Expe- rience of Times paft is fufficient to convince us, by the Growth and Continuance of Errors in the Church of Ro7ney from the Time that the.
e Bible
xlii DEDICATION.
Bible was fhut, and the Court of Inquiiition opened.
And as to the Second, whoever he is who thinks he ought to fepa- rate from that Church wherein he fees fome Errors, if it will not im- mediately reform and amend them ; and thinks it his Duty to refufe joi- ning in Communion with any Set of Men, till he meets with a Con- ftitution, either in Church or State, that is abfolutely free from Errors ; fnch an one, I fear, is not fitted for this World, but muft live by himfelf, till he is conduded into a Society of Angels.
In my Opinion therefore, the middle Courfe is that which he
ought
DEDICATION, xliii
ought to purfue, which in this Af- fair, as well as moft others, is cer- tainly the beft.
Let us confider how a Perfon in like Circumftances, with regard to the State, ought to conduct him- felf ; and this may perhaps deter- mine our Behaviour with regard to the other. For we generally talk more calmly, as well as more ra- tionally, concerning the Affairs of the State, than of the Church.
Suppofe a Perfon fees any Errors in that Conftitution of Government under which he lives ; may he nor, ought he not to lay his Opinion before the Legiflative Powers of that Society, in order to procure
e z aa
xliv DEDICATION.
an Amendment of it ? I think he ought. But then he ought at the fame Time, unlefs in Cafes of the utmofl: Neceffity, where the Vitals of the Conftitution are in Danger, not only not to defert the State, though the Amendment fhould not be made ; but alfo to avoid raifing Parties or FaEiions in the State, for the Support of his Opinion ; which in the Ecclefiaftical Stile, would be called Herejtes,
But to this it is objedled, that here the Parallel will not hold, be- caufe Men's temporal Interefts will reftrain them from overturning the Eftablifhment of the State ; where- as too many would be very glad to have the Eftablifhment of the Church
DEDICATION. xlv
quite fet aiide. It may therefore be dangerous to begin with making Alterations or Amendments in the Church, left thofe Scaffoldings which are eredted for Repairs, fliould be made Ufe of to pull down the whole Fabric.
With humble Submiffion how-, ever to thefe cautious Gentlemen, I am under lefs Apprehenlion for the Church than for the State : For, as to the Chrifiian Religion in general, we have the fure Word of Pro^ phecy, that the Gates of Hell flo all not prevail agamji it. And as to particular Eftablifhments, I fhould apprehend, that the freer they were from Errors, the more likely they would be to ftand. At leaft, I
fhould
xlvi DEDICATION.
lliould think it would be right to run fome Rifque, and place fome Truft in the Providence of God, rather than let Errors of any Confe- quence remain.
But, fay they again, Truth is not to befpoken at all Times. Which I will allow fo far, as to acknow- ledge, that Prudence and Temper is to be made Ufe of even in the Publication of Truth ; but not that Truth may be concealed for ever, under the Pretence, that the Publi- cation of it at prefent would be out of Seafon ; for if Error may be fafely eftablifhed, and Truth concealed, how can we vindicate all that Outcry that was made by Protejiants againft the Doftrine of
Tranfiib"
DEDICATION, xlvii
Tranfiibjiantiation^ &c ? Since it is manifeft, that before the Refor- mation took Place, the fame Argu- ments were then made Ufe of againft any Innovations in Religion that are now. And all Alterations in the eftablifhed Form of Worfhip were then as much declaimed againfl by the Ecclefiaftics of thofe Days, as they can be at prefent.
I am not againft joining the Wif- dom of the Serpent with the Inno- cence of the Dove : But I would not have the Wifdom of the Ser- pent without the Innocence of the Dove. Let us be as wife as pofli- ble in defending what is right in our Eftablifhment, but let us not €xert the fame Wifdom in defend- ing
xlviii DEDICATION.
ing what is wrong. But, above all, let us, in the Name of God, take care, that our Foundations be clear, and that our Articles and Creeds are free from Error*
The Author of thefe Papers, though he hath addrefied them to Your Grace, is very fenlible, that it IS not in Your Power, nor in that of all the Ecclefiaftics of the Land, to alter the eftablifhed Form of Wor- fhip • he knows, that the AEi of Uniforjnity^ upon which it depends, and of which our Litargy is a Part, was pafled into a Law, by the joint Confent of the thj*ee Ef- tates of the Realm ; and he trufts in God, that he never fhall fee the Church independent on the State.
But,
DEDICATION, xlix
But, my Lord, though the Bi- fhops and Clergy, either in or out of Convocation, cannot redrefs, yet they may recommend ; the Author, however, cannot but remark, that he does not recoiled any Inftance in Hiftory, lince the Times of the Apoftles, w^here the Reformation of Religion in any material Points hath been brought about by the Influence of the Clergy in general ; the Bulk of them, who are always the leaft knowing, being moft te- nacious of old Opinions. The Pope indeed, every now and then, makes fome Reformation in the Ca- lendar of Saints, and ftrikes out a few antiquated Holy-days, in order to make Room for new Canoniza- f tions :
1 DEDICATION.
tions : But if we are to take our Precedents from what hath hitherto pafled in the Reformation of any material Points in Religion, it muft be efFed:ed by a few leading Perfons among the Clergy, when fupported by the upper and more thinking Part of the Laity.
And, as it hath pleafed God and His Majefty to call you to the Pri- macy of this Church, the Author cannot think of any Perfon more pro- per to addrefs himfelf to at prefent, than Your Grace ; as well on ac- count of Your perfonal Abilities, as of Your Intereft with thofe lea- ding Members of the Society, whe- ther Laymen or Clergy, who com-
pofe
DEDICATION. li
pofe the Legiflative Power of this Realm.
And as he thinks this to be the mod proper and Chriftian Method of conveying his own Sentiments to the Powers that be j fo hath he alfo publiflied his Sentiments in the Garb of a metaphyfical Effay, to prevent their falling into the Hands of the lower Clafs of Readers, whofe Thoughts might be difturbed by an Enquiry into Subjects of this Na- ture ; till by gentle Degrees they come, by the Bleffing of God, to be made a Part of the eftablifhed Religion of the Country ; which will give them a proper Recom- mendation and Weight with thofe, k % wha
Ei DEDICATION.
who are not otherwife capable of judging of them.
Not that he expefts, that every Thing, which he hath advanced in this E[fay^ is to be received by his Reader as an Article of Faith, but only that it may have its due Weight in his ferious Confidera- tions j for as he is defirous, that no human Conjedlures may be im- pofed upon him, as of equal Au- thority with Divine Revelation ; fo neither does he dcfire, that his Conjectures fliould be obtruded up- on others.
The Author is thoroughly con- vinced, that Minifters of State will be very cautious, and with great
Reafon,
DEDICATION. liii
Reafon, how they embroil them- felves with religious Difputes. But as he does not apprehend, that there is any Need of purfuing violent Methods, fo neither does he expedl that a thorough Reformation of every thing that may be amended, fhould be made all at once. He could wifh hov^ever, that fomething was done, to convince the World, that the Clergy of the Church of Ireland^ are not averfe to a proper Reformation of fuch Parts of her Public Service, as demand a more immediate Revifal ; fince, other- wife, they may give Offence by their Obftinacy, and feeming Infal- libility ; and if a Storm fhould arife, may run a Rifque of having that Tree torn up by the Roots,
which
liv DEDICATION.
which might have been faved by a little pruning.
As the Laws of the Land require Subfcriptions to be made to the Canons and Articles of our Reli- gion, only by Clergymen, Fellows of Colleges, Clerks, and School- Matters, fo thefe do not feem to need that immediate Redrefs, which thofe Parts of pur Worfhip require, in which the whole Community are expected to join.
He thinks, that he need not in-s form Your Grace, that that Creed, which is commonly called the Athanafian Creed, hath of a long Time given Offence, and conti- nueth to give great Offence to
many
DEDICATION. Iv
many People. And indeed not without Reafon, if we confider it only in this Light, that the Sub- ject of a great Part of it, is a Theo- logico-Metaphyfical Difpute, which few, if any, of the Learned under- ftand ; but is undoubtedly above the Capacity of the Vulgar ; and yet, by being made a Part of our Public Service, every Body, as well low as high, is required to aflent to it.
It is alfo now univerfally acknow- ledged among the Learned, that it was originally a fpurious Production, impofed upon the World under the Name of Athanafius^ till detefted by the Criticifms of the learned Vojpus* But, fuppofing it had been V. ' a genuine
Ivi DEDICATION.
a genuine Piece, and had been un- doubtedly written by Athanaftus^ there can be no Reafon afUgned, why the Members of the Church of Ire^ land fhould be tied down to affent to the Compofitions of a private Perfon, who had no other Merit, which the Author can find, for being declared a Saint, but his bafe and low Sub- miilion to the Bifliop of Rome^ who had no legal Authority over him; and his infolent Behaviour to his lawful Prince, who undoubtedly had a Right to his Obedience,
The Author does, by no Means, prefume to prefcribe to Your Grace; but he thinks himfelf in Duty obli- ged to recommend it to Your Con- fideration, whether the firft Step
to
DEDICATION. Ivii
to be taken is not to try to get the Words in the Declaration of Afient and Confent made agreeable to the Intention of the Ad:, which was attempted in England^ A. D. 1663, about a Year after the laft Ad: of Uniformity, and paffed the Houfe of Lords, but was thrown out in the Houfe of Commons, by the then over-ruling Influence of the Duke of York^ and his Party, who did not let the Claufe propofed pafs even the Houfe of Lords without a Proteft. But, as we are now, thank God, free from any Appre- henfions of the prevailing Influence of fuch an Adminiftration, he hopes Your Grace will not decline ma- king the Attempt here, as he ap- prehends it will open a Freedom of
g Con-
Iviii DEDICATION.
Gonverfation among thofc Perfons, who have hitherto imagined them- felves to be Tongae-tied, by having pubhcly and abfolutely given their unfeigned Affent and Confent to all and every thing contained in 7"^^ Book of Co7nmon-Prayer.
Which will be a proper, if not neceffary, Preparative to a gradual Reception of thofe further Emen-» dations of our Liturgy, which are propofed by fome anonymous Au- thors, in the fecond Edition of a Book lately publifhed, entitled, Free and candid Difquijit ions rela- ting to the Church of England. With whom, though the Author of thefe Papers does not agree in Opinion, concerning the Doflrine contained
in
DEDICATION. lix
in the Athanafian Creed, and a few other Particulars : Yet he cannot avoid giving them their due Com- mendations, for the true Ch?'ijlia7i Spirit of Candour, Moderation, and Meeknefs, which breaths through their whole Performance.
It is indeed prohibited by the AB of Uniformity J under fevere Penalties, for any Perfon to preachy declare^ or fpeak any thing to the Derogation or depraving The Book of Common- Pra3^er, or any Part thereof \ which, however, is by no Means inconiiftent with that Chri- fiia?t Liberty of a decent and free Ufe either of Converfation, or of the Prefs, concerning any Altera- tions or Amendments, which it may
2 z be
Ix DEDICATION.
be right and prudent to have made therein. As he apprehends, that every Perfon is Uable to be punifh- ed by the Laws of the Land, who fhall preachy declare^ or /peak to the Derogatmi or depraving any Ac^ of Parhament, while it conti* nues in Force : And yet common Reafon, as well as common Cuftom, allows every Perfon to propofe Al- terations, and fpeak his Mind with regard to any Amendments, which fnay be made therein, provided it be done with common Decency, and a due Refped: to the Legifla- tive Powers of the Realm.
And when this is complied with, he then looks upon it as the Duty of fuch as fee any Errors in the
Con-
DEDICATION. ki
Conftitution, cither of Church or State, to lay their Sentiments be- fore the Powers that he^ in order to produce an Amendment ; which is the Motive that prevails with the Author of thefe Papers, to give Your Grace the Trouble of this Addrefs ; and to recommend to thofe in Authority the Conlidera- tion of the Advice given by the learned and religious Dr. Ham77iond^ in his Treatife, intitled, (4) A View of the new DireElory. Where, Spea- king in Favour of the Moderation ufed in our Church Catechifm, he faith, " If we would all keep ourfelves *' within that Moderation, and pro- " pofe no larger Catalogue of Cre- " denda to be believed by all than " the Apojlles Greedy as it is ex- plained
(4) Sea. 40.
Ixii DEDICATION.
"plained in our Catechifm^ Aoth. " propofe ; and lay the greater *' Weight upon the Gonlideration " and Performance of the Vow '* of Baptifm, and all the Com- " mands of God, as they are ex- " plained by Chrijl, — -I fhould be *' confident there would be lefs ha- *' ting and damning one another, *' (which is moft ordinarily for Opi- *' nions) more Piety and Charity^ *' and fo true Chrifiianity among " Chrijlians and Protejlants^ than " hath hitherto been met with.'* Which would be the moft proper Method that could be taken, to ren- der the Church of Ireland truly catholic ; not by driving Members out of its Pale^ on account of hu^ man Appointments and Determina- tions,
DEDICATION. Ixiii
tions, in Imitation of the Church of Rome ; but by opening the Gates of its Communion as wide as was confiftent with the Gofpel oiChriJL
The Preface to our Book of Com-^ mon- Prayer declares, that " the " particular Forms of divine Wor- " fhip, and the Rites and Ceremo- " nies appointed to be ufed there- " in,' being Things in their own *' Nature indifferent and alterable, *' and fo acknowledged, it is but " reafonable, that upon weighty " and important Coniiderations, *' according to the various Exigen- " cies of Times and Occafiions, fuch *^ Changes and Alterations may be " made therein, as to thofe that are " in Place and Authority fhould,
^' from
Ixiv DEDICATION.
*' from Time to Time feem either neceffary or expedient.'*
iC
The Eyes of Mankind have been greatly opened, not only fince the Reformation, but even lince the Revolution. And that Liberty of Converfation and the Prefs, which the Inhabitants of thefe Kingdoms have ever fince been glorioufly in- dulged in, hath much promoted a Freedom of thinking, which was curbed and kept down, during the Dominion and Influence of Popery,
And as at prefent the Genera- lity of thefe Nations feem more inclinable to liften to Reafon than formerly, the Author of thefe Pa- pers hath that Confidence, both
in
DEDICATION. Ixv
in the Soundnefs of Your Grace's Judgment, and the Prudence of Your Condud:, that he makes no Doubt of Your doing every thing that is proper upon this Occafion, to remove thofe Rocks of Offence, which He in the Way of fo many well-meaninor Perfons.
This Attempt of his, he thinks, however, for many Reafons, to be worth the making, becaufe, though it fhould not fucceed, yet he is fure of having that Satisfadlion from it, that he can fay, Liberavi Animam meam ; See ye to it : And that it furnifhes him with an Opportu- nity of profe/Tmg himfelf to be Your Grace's Moft devoted, And Moft obedient
Humble Servant.
• ^ _
[O
A N
ESSAY
O N
SPIRIT.
T
I. ^ ' '1 1 H E Opinion of (i) Spinofa was, that there is no other Stibjiance in Nature but God. That
Modes cannot fubfift, or be conceived.
(i) Praeter Deum nulla datur, nee concipi poteft, Suh- fiantia, (per Propofit. 14;) hoc eft (per Defin.) Res qux ia fe eft, & per fe concipitur. Modi autem (per Defin. 5.) fine Subftanria, nee efle, nee concipi poffunt : Quare hi in fola d^fina natura eflc, & per ipfam folam concipi poffunt.
Spin. oper. poft, Ethices, par. i. pag. 12.'
B without
2 An Essay on Spirit.
without a Subftance. That there is nothing in Nature but Modes and Subftances : And that therefore every Thing muft be concei- ved as fubfifting in God.
Which Opinion, with fome few Altera- tions, hath been embraced and cultivated, by P. Malbranche and Bifhop Berkeley.
II. It m^y indeed be afTerted, that there is in Nature but onaSelf-exiftent Bemg, Subfiftence, or Subftance, which, by way of Eminence, may therefore be called, the Sub fiance ; or, figuratively and compara- tively fpeaking, the oyily Beings Subfi/ience, or Subjiance in Nature. For by thefe three Words, I would be underftood to mean one and the fame Thing. The Logicians de- fine Subfiantia to be Ens per fe fubfijlem ^ fubjians accidentibus.. And I mean die fame Thing by a Being, Exijience, SubJUI- ance, or Subftance j that is, fomething ca- pable of fupporting Modes^ Accidents, Re- lations or Properties, which are only diffe- rent Words, to denote the various Marnier s ;> or
An Essay on Spirit. j,
or Modes, by which Exiftent Beings can raife Ideas in our Minds, or, which is the fame Thing, can become knowable by us. Eve- ry Exiflence or Being, I therefore call a Siibjlance ; the Manner in which it makes an Impreflion on our Minds, I call a Mode ; and the Effedt or Impreflion, which is thereby made upon the Mind, I call an Idea.
. Now as Nothing can have no Proper-- ties, wherever we perceive any Properties, we therefore reafonably conclude, that there muft be Something; that is, fome Exif-^ tence or other to fupport them. Hence the Maxim laid down by Spinofa, Modi fine Subftantia, nee eff'e, nee co7icipi pojj'unt : Or, as Sir Ifaac Newton exprelTeth it (2), Firtus fine Subjiafitia fubfifiere non poteji.
And as God is the only Self-exiftent Be-' ijig, therefore he may, comparatively fpcak- ing, be faid to be the only Being in Nature.
(2) t^evjt. Priac. Schol. gen. p. 485. -•
B z And
4: An Essay on Spirit.
And accordingly, when Mofes enquired of God, by what Name he fhould make him known to the Children of Ifraely God faid, (3) ^hus jhalt thou fay to the Children of Ifrael, I am hath fint me unto you. That is, I that A M hath fent me unto you ; for io it fhould have been rendered. And there- fore,' itt the. iirft Part of the Verfe, where God faith unto MofeSy 1 am that I am. ; it fliould be rendered, I am that am, as it is by the Septuaginty lyca ^fju 0 wv, that is, lam he that isy or that exiils, as if^ compara- tively fpeaking, there was no other Being or Exiftence but God.
From which PafTage it probably was, that (4) Plato borrowed his Notion of the Name of God, v/hen he aflerted, that the Word gV/, e/if is folely applicable to the eternal Nature of God. And from him it alfo probably was, that the Word «, /. e^ thou art, was all that was written on the
(3) Exod. iii. 14. ^) Plato. Timams*
Door
An Essay 07i Spirit. 5,
Door of tlie 'Delphic Temple : Upon wliich 'Plutarch remarks, that this Word is foiely applicable to God, fmce that which truly hi nraft be feinpiternal, i
All which is true, when we fpeak of God in a figurative and lefs- correft Man- iK^r, .only in Comparifon with the Creatures that have been made by him ;, between whom and their Creator there is no Pro- portion ; and which, when confldered in Comparifon with him, are as Nothing, Which is the View that God is to be confl- dered in, as fpoken of in the above-men- tioned PaOages, quoted out of the Books of McfeSy and the Theological Works of Plato,
m. But when we fpeak c^ God and his Works, in a philofophical and more accu- rate Maimer, this will not hold. Since, as Des Cartes truly argues, / know that lexi/l, I cannot be deceived in this. If therefore 1 exift, and that I am not God, then there is another Exigence in Nature befide God.
I hope
6. An Essay on Spirit.
I hope I cannot be thought fo abfurd, or fo Impious, as to imagine, that there are more Gods than on^ ; or that I did not receive my Exiftence from the Will and Pow^r of God : The Confcloufhefs of my own Ex- igence necefTarliy leads me to a firft Caufe, which firft Caufe can only be one ; becaufe two firft Caufes are a Contradidlion ' in Terms. Every thing therefore that exifts, befide that Fir/i Caufe, which Way (bever' it is brought forth into Being, whether it- be hegotten^ emanated^ created, ox fpokenjorth^ It muft proceed from, and owe its Exiftence to the (5) Will, as well as Power of that firft Caufe. However, fure I am, that fince I do exift, 1 exift as a feparate and diftinft Exiftence from God ; though not indepen- dent of him.
IV. And as my own Confcioufhefs con-^ vinces me of my own Exiftence, fb does.
(5) Athanafius acknowledges it to be impious, to fay that God the Father was neceffitated to adt, even when he begat the Son : And allows alfo that neither Son nor Holy Spirit are the firft Caufe ; but the Father alone, and that th« Son and Holy Spirit were both cauftd. Atban, Vol. I. p. '^ J 2. Id. Vol. IL p. 442, 443.
the
^n Essay on Spirit. 7
the fame Faculty convince me, that this Exr iftence of mine is compofed of two very different Kinds of Exiftence, that is, of a thinking, a(5live, powerful, Exiftence ; and a dull, heavy, ina^ive, Exiftence. One of "which, to wit, the adlive, we will, for DifHn6lion fake, without entering into any further metaphyfical Difputes about Words, call the fpiritual Exiftence, Subfiftence, or Subflance ; and the other, 'utz, the inac- tive, we will call the material or bodily Ex- iftence ; and fometimes, for Brevity fake, we will call one Spirit, and the other Mat- ter or Body.
V. Wherein the Nature or Effence, either of this material or this fpiritual Subftance does confifl, we are entirely ignorant ; for we know them only by the Effedls or the Influence, which fome of their Modes or Properties have upon our Minds. Thus, for Example, though we are capable of per- ceiving the Hardnefs, Colour, Figure, ^c^ of material Exiftences ; yet are we en- tirely ignorant, what it is that fupports thofc
Properties ;
8 An Essay on Spirit.
Properties ; or wherein the Nature, Eflence, or Identity of Body does confift, when the Hardnefs, Figure, Colour, 6?c. is either altered or removed. In like Manner, we are equally ignorant of the Nature or Ef- fence of Spirit : We know indeed fome of the Properties thereof, fuch as, Perception, Thinking, Willing, Doubting, ^f. But we know not the Eflence of that fpiritual Be- ing within us, which perceives, thinks, wills, or doubts, G?r.
VI. And though we know not wherein the Nature or Eflence, either of Body or Spirit does confifl: ; yet we find by Experience, that is, from the EfFedls which we feel from within, and from without ourfelves, that thefe two Kinds of Exiftences, of which the human Conftitution is compofed, have very different and incon{ifl:ent Properties : As for Example, that one has the Power of Motion in itfelf ; whereas the other can neither put itfelf into Motion, nor put a Stop to its own Motions, when once begun ;
whence
An Essay on Spirit. 9
whence we reafonably conclude, that their Natures or EiTence are alfo different.
Vn. We likewife find, from Experience, that there is a Difference between necef- fary and voluntary Motion ; and that fonie Agents have a Power of beginning, vary- ing, and putting a Stop to their own Mo- tions ad libitum ; while others invariably a6t after one regular, conftant, and uniform Method of proceeding, equally, and at all Times. And although it is not eafy to de- termine the Boundaries between thofe two Species of Beings, the Gradation from the one to the other, in fome Inflances, being fo exceedingly exquifite, as for Example, be- tween the vegetable and the animal Part of the Creation, as to render the Diilindlion hardly perceptible ; yet fure we are of the Matter of Fadl, 'uiz, that there are fome Be- ings, which are capable of voluntary Self-Mo- tion, whereas wx find, by Experience, that others are not : And fince we find, by re- peated Experiments, that that Kind of Ex- iftence, which we call Matter , is incapable
C of
TO An Eassy on Spirit.
of producing any Kind of Motion, either voluntary or involuntary ; whenever we fee any thing moved, we may fairly conclude the firft Author, or Caufe of that Motion, to be what we call Spirit,
VIII. It Is beyond the Reach of human Abilities to explain, how thefe two different Kinds of Exigence, the a6live and inactive, can have an Influence, or can poflibly affeiSt each other. When we fee a Stone defcend to the Ground, Ave are not much furprized, becaufe it is common ; but certain it is, that the original Caufe of that Motion muft be fome Spirit or other ; not only with Regard to the Determination of that Mo- tion, but alfo with Regard to the whole Momentum of it : Since, as Nothing can ciB ivhere it is not, that Power whereby any Body continues in JSlotion, is as much the Elfe6t of fome concomitant Spirit, as the Power which put it firfl: in Motion.
• IX. That Power alfo, whereby Matter h enabled to reji-ft Motion, is as much the
EfFecl
An Essay ^;j Spirit.
11
Efl€(5l of Spirit, as that whereby it is ena- bled to continue in Motion, when once com- municated : Since Matter, as Matter, cannot pofTibly exert any a<5live Power of any Kind, either in beginning, continuing, or refifting of Motion. It may remain at Reft, by Virtue of its own Inactivity ; but if no active Power with-held it, a Mountain would be as eafily moved as a Mole-Hill. Becaufc that Refinance, Weight or Gravity is occa- fioned by nothing elfe but the Tendency of one Body towards another, impelled thereto by the attractive Force of fome Spirit. Which Tendency, or attractive Power, be- ing in Proportion to the (6) Quantity of Matter, makes the Difference of Weight or Gravity in Bodies. When therefore this
(6) Hadenus Phaenomena Coelorum & Maris noftri per vim Gravitatis expofui, fed caufam Gravitatis nondum al- lignavi. Oritur utique haec Vis a Caufa aliqua quae pene- trat ad ufquc Centra Solis, &: Planetarum fine t'^irtutis Dimi- nutione ; qujeque agit non pro Quantitate Superficierum Particularum in quas agit, (ut folent Caufae mechanicse) fed pro Quantitate Materise folidae.
Newt. Prhc* Schol. gen. p. 4S2.
C 2 Tendency
ti An EssAV 071 Spirit.
Tendency is removed, there will be no Difference in their Gravity ; becaufe none of them, whether large or little, will have any at all : And of Confcquence, their Power of Refinance will be deftroycd. Which plainly proves, that Refiftance is fomething more than bare Inability, or a Want of Power, or a Negation of Spirit, as the Au- thor of (7) Stris afferts it only to be.
X. And as there can be no Motion, without a Direction or. Determination being given to that Motion j hence it will follow, that every Being, capable of moving, either itfelfi or any thing elfe, mufl alfo be en- dowed with an IntelleB, or Underftanding, capable of directing that Motion. And as nothing can acl where it is not, hence alfo it is that Attra6tion, or Gravity, does not operate in Proportion to the Superficies of Bodies, but according to the Quantity of Matter ; becaufe every, even the leafi: Par- ticle, of adlive, or attra(5live Matter, mufl:
([7) Sifts, Sefl. 290.
A?i Essay on Spirit. 13
be direBed'xn it's Motions by fome Spirit, united to that Matter, which may have jiift fuch a Quantity of Intellcdl communicated to it by its Creator, as will enable it to per- form thofe Fundlions, which are afTigned it by its Creator, in order to carry on the ge- neral Oeconomy of this Univerfe.
Which Fundlions, all a6llve Beings, that are not endowed with a Freedom of Will, muft conftantly and regularly perform, when- ever there is an Opportunity given them of exertinjT thofe Faculties. And therefore, if they are appointed to perform the Opera- tions of AttraBion or Repuljioti, they muft, as neceffary Agents, always attraB or re- pel at certain Diftances, and according to certain and ftated Rules, prefcrlbed by their great Creator ; and will never vary in their Tendency towards this Body, or their Aver- fion from that ; but will for ever a(5l in one uniform Way of attra(5ling or repelling the fame Bodies, and in one regular, conftanr. Method of proceeding. From the Obfer- vance of which Operations, thofe Rules,
which
14 An Essay on Spirit.
which are called the Laws of Motion, are deduced by the Curious.
. XI. All Nature, therefore, feems to be animated, or alive ; and this whole World to be replete with Spirits formed with diffe- rent Kinds and Degrees of Abilities, accor- ding to the various Ends and Ufes, for which they were deiigned by their Creator. The Difierence of whofe intelledlual Fa- culties may not only confift in the Difference of their original Formation as Spirits ; but alfo in the different .Inlets for Knowledge, through the Tegument of that Body to which they are united, and by which the Spirit within is capable .of receiving any Kind of Liformation, for the Improvement of it's own Underftanding.
But if the Almighty is pleafed to add a Liberty of Will to this active Intellect, and create Spirits endowed with a Power of 'voluntary Motioiiy then it feems necefTary that Almighty God Ihould confer alfo upon fuch intelligent Spirits, fuch Faculties and
Powers,
An Essay 07i Spirit. 15
Powers, as would enable them to be ca- pable of perceiving Pleafure or Pain ; fince nothing elfe, but a Scnfe of one or other of thefe, feems capable of determining the Wilho a(5l. For if the Senfation of Plea- fure or Pain be removed from the Will, there can be no Reafbn or Caufe for it to prefer one Motion to another, and of Confequence, no Dire(5lion or Determination.
XII. And hence may be deduced the fol- lowing Obfervations. That to fuch a Be- ing every thing may be called Goody that giveth Pleafure ; and every thing Evil, that produceth Pain. The higheft Pleafure, which any Being is capable of enjoying, may be called its Happinefs j and the higheft Pain, Mifery. Now as the life of all Pain is to determine bur Motions, fo that when We feel or fear Pain, we may be thereby ex- cited to new Adlions, for our own Pre- fervation and Delight ; hence it appears, that Evil takes its Origbi from the Good- nefs of God, in which it will alfo be finally abforbed, when Pain fliall be no
more.
i6 An Essay Q7t Spirit.
jnore. The Will cannot be at Liberty to chufe Evil as Evil. But as Pain may be be produ6tive of Pleafure, or Pleafure be producftive of Pain ; hence it comes to pafs, that free Agents, by being deceived, through their Ignorance, or Paihons, may chufe Evil, under the Appearance of Good ; and herein confifts human Freedom ; not in the Power of chufing Evil, but in the Power of chufmg what feems Good from among a Variety of Good, whether real or apparent : And herein lies the Difference between the Freedom of God and of Man ; that as fallible Men may chufe an apparent Good, in- ftead of a real one, they, by being liable to be deceived, are free, by that Means, to chufe Evil, inftead of Good : Whereas God, who cannot be deceived, is only free to chufe out of that infinite Variety of real Good, which his Will and his Wifdom may di(5late. — And laffly, That Virtue, Wif- dom, Prudence, ^c, in Mankind, may be con- (idered only as various Names, for the feve- ral Powers given to them, and the different Methods ufed by them in the Attainment of
Happinefs,
A?! Essay on Spirit. 17
Happlncfs, and avoiding of Mifery. And hence alfo Self-Love may be looked upon, in Nature, as the Principle of all voluntary Adlion ; and the Foundation of all Mora- lity.
XIII. We find, by Experience, that there are fome voluntary felf-moving Beings here upon Earth, which have but one or two Methods of furnifhiiig their Minds with the Senfe of Pleafure, or of Pain ; others have three ; others four ; others five ; which are commonly known by the Name of Sen- fes ; to which rational Beings have one more added, which is that of inward Re- fledtion. And therefore, the Author of the Book of Eccle/iajihus, (peaking of the Formation of Mankind, fays (8), T'hey re- ceived the Ufe of the Jive Operations of the Lordj a?2d i?! the fixth Place he imparted to them JJnderjianding.
XIV. But, let their Number be never fo various, they may, in general, be reduced
(8) Ecduf. xvii. 5.
3 to
i8 J^n EssAV on Spirit.
to thefe two. Firft, thofe Methods of Li- formation, which the Mhid of any Being, compofed of Body and Spirit, is capable oi being afFccled with, by the Intervention of the Senfes ; which furnifli the Mind with fuch Ideas, as may be called Ideas of Sen" fation, becaufe they are conveyed to the Mind through the Organs of Senfation. Or, fecondly, thofe Methods of Information, which the Spirit of any felf-moving Agent Is capable of being affc6led with, by its own reflex A6ts upon itfelf ; by the Means of which, the Mind is furnifhed with fuch Ideas, as may properly be called Ideas of 'Reflexion,
XV. And indeed It Is in thefe reflex Adls of the human Spirit, that is, in the Power which the human Spirit is endowed with, firfl, In perceiving its own internal Opera- tions in thinking ; and, fecondly, in being able to turn back its perceptive Faculty, to Its paft Perceptions, that the chief Differ- ence feems to confift, between the Spirit of Man, and the Spirit of Brutes ; or be- tween
A71 Essay oh Spirit. 19
tween the rational, and that which is com- monly called the animal, Creation.
XVI. By the Aflilkncc, however, of thefe two Faculties, that is, of Senfation and Re- jiexion, the Spirit of Man is flirnifhed with all thofe Ideas, which fill the human JNlind ; and fupply it with Objects of intelleBual, as well as fenfual, Pleafures. The latter of which it is, that flrikes us fooneft and ftrongeft ; as being moft neceffary for the immediate Ufe, and Prefervation of Life. And accordingly, we find, that the human Mind requires a Kind of ripening, before it is capable of making any reflex Acfl's up- on its own Operations, or having any Re- lifh for intelle(51:ual Pleafures. Upon which Account it mufl: be acknowledged to have been one great Advantage, which Adam had over all his Pofterity, that his Intellec- tual Faculties, came with him into the World, In their full Force ; by which Means, he was free from that Blafs, in Fa- vour of fenfual Pleafures, which all liis Offspring have, ever fince, ncceflarlly, la- D 2 bourc4
20 An EaSSY 071 Sx^lRIT.
boured under ; by an Habit of being in- dulged in fenfual Gratifications, from their Infancy, till they come to a Maturity of Judgment ; during which whole Time, the human Will hath no Relifh for any Plea- fures, but fuch as enter in by the Senfcs.
XVII. The Spirit of Man, therefore, being furniflied with Ideas by the Opera- tion of the two Faculties of Seiifation and "Refexion ; when the Mind begins to ope- rate a -new, its Operations are called by different Names, according to the different Ufe it makes of thofe Ideas. For when the Spirit retains any Ideas in View, and collates, or compares, them together, this A6t of the Spirit is called T^hinkhig, The Continuation of which A(5l is called Atten^ tion. When it depofits its Ideas In the Store-Houfc, or Trcafury, of the Mind, for future Recolledlion, and produces them back, upon Occafion, in the fame Manner as they were depofitcd ; this A(5t is called Memory : But when it varies, alters, and compounds them, fo that they are not the
(iMiie,
/I?t Essay on Spirit. 21
fame, as when depofited ; this A6t Is called Imagination,
XVIII. When the Spirit, by collating and comparing Ideas together, finds out the Agreement, or Difagreement, of thofe Ideas ; this Operation produccth Knoijoledgey and is, l)y the Logicians, called 'Judgment : But when the Spirit is miftakcn in this Opera- tion, and imagines Ideas to have an Agree- ment, which have no Agreement, and, 1;/- ce verfa, this Operation produceth Error,
XIX. When this Agreement, or Difa- greement, of Ideas, ftrikes the Mind at once, without the Intervention of any third Idea, to prove their Agreement, or Difa- greement with one another ; this is intuit tive Knowledge : Which is fo called, from its Refemblance to the Information, v/hich ^he Mind receives by the Senfation of Sight ; becaufe it perceives thofe Kinds of Truth, as the Eye does Light, only by being direc- ted to them : The Objects, of which are thofe Propofitions, that are called felj-evi-
dent
21 An Essay on Spirit.
dent truths : Such as, that two and two make four ; that the Whole is greater than a Part ; that Happmefs is preferable to Mi- fery, ^c ; which the Mind cannot but af- fent to, as foon as it is made to underftand the Meaning of thofe Terms, and which can no more be proved, or demonftrated, than {imple Ideas can be defined ; as being themfelves the Foundation of all Knowledge and Demonftratlon.
XX. But when the Mind is employed in a more complicated Operation, that is, in comparing together thofe Kelatiom^ or this Knowledge which we have acquired of the Agreement, or Difagreement of our Ideas ; or, which is the fame thing, v^hen the Mind, by comparing the Propofitions, which re- fult from the Agreement, or Difagreement, of our Ideas, from thence deduces certain Conclujions -, this Operation of the Spirit, is called reajoning.
The
An Essay o?i Spirit. 23
The Neceflity and Laborloufnefs of which Operation, in order to arrive at Truth, fhews the Imperfedlion of human Nature ; fince we find, by Experience, that there is but a very fmall Part of Know- ledge, which is fo felf-evident to us, as to be intuitive. Whereas Beings of a fuperior Na- ture, have, probably, their intuitive Know- ledge enlarged, in Proportion to the Excel- lency of their Natures : By which Means, thofe Degrees of Knowledge, which hu- man Beings are groping after, by long and tedious Deduclions of Reafon, are open, at once, to the Eyes of their Underftanding, and ftrike them, at once, with an intuitive View ; which is always the more extenfive, in Proportion to the Excellency of their Natures.
XXI. And hence it is, that (9) Vlato^ fpeaking of human Abilities, in the In- veftigation of Truth, calls it, beholding
(9) Plata in Phado.
things
i4 ^^ Essay on Spirit;
"Xhing^ in the Glafs of Reafon : Which he explains, by faying, That as they who con- template an Eclipfe of the Sun, lofe the Sight of it, unlefs they are fo careful as to view it's Reflexion in Water, or to look at it through fome Medium, fuch as thick Glafs ; fo the Eye of an human Spirit is too weak to find out Truth, unlefs it looks at it through the Medium of Reafon ; which St. Paul alfo calls (i), feei?tg through a Glafs darkly.
XXn. We do indeed fee through a Glafs darkly, by the Means of this Tegument of Flefh ; this earthly Tabernacle, that en- compafifeth our Spirit : Since it is manifefl:, that the intelligent Spirit within Man is, in itfclf, endowed with Faculties, greatly fu- perior to thofe Powers it exercifeth in the human Underftanding ; and performs many Operations within us, and upon us, that are not only above our Power to diredt, but above our Underftanding to comprehend,
(l) I Cor. xiii. 12.
That
An Essay on Spirit. ij
That Power, wliich is conftantly working within us, to form and preferve the regular Difpofition of our bodily Organs, and to change the Food which we eat, into Blood, into Flefh, and into Bones ; and which, ac- cording to the Naturalifts, is faid always to work moft powerfully, when the human Underftanding is afleep, is manifeftly above our Compreheniion.
XXIII. It is a common Obfervation, that when the Belly is full, the Bones would be at Reft ; which feems entirely owing to this, that the Spirit, being unmolefted w Ith hu- man Cogitations, and its Attendance upon our Will, may be more at Leifure to purfue thofe Operations, which are immediately neceflary towards our Prefervation. For that it is the fame wife Agent, which ope- rates in the Digeftion of our Food, and that enables us to put in Execution the Directions of our Will, appears from hence, that when we have a Mind to move a Fin- ger, or a Leg, that Part of the human Un- derftanding, which is under our Diredion,
E is
i2k& An Eassy on Spirit.
IS capable of doing no more than the Power of willing it ; but how to perform this Ac- tion, it is as ignorant of as the Beaft in the Field.
XXIV. Which Operation of the Spirit. IS that which is known by the Name of In- flincl^ and goes through the whole Crea- tion. It is by InJiinB that the miniiteft Particles of Matter attradl or repel each other : It is by InftinSi that the Flower of the Field, which out-does Solomon in all his Glory, is direcSled in throwing forth its Leaves and Its Flowers, and forming its Fruit in due Seafon : It is by InftinB that the Birds of the Air build their Nefts ; and the Bcafts of the Field provide for them- felves and their Young, with a Sagacity fu- perior to the Directions of human Wifdom.
XXV. Whether the Spirits of all created Beings, or even of all Beings of the fame Species, are equally perfect, is a Queftlon not very eafy to determine ; becaufe, though ^ve fmd, by Experience, a vafl Difference,
between
A7t Essay on Spirit. 27
between the Underftandlngs of Men, not only with regard to their improved, but al- fo their natural. Abilities ; yet this may arife, not from any Difference between the Spirits of Men, but from the different For- mation of their bodily Organs ; which may have that Influence on their Spirit, as fufE- ciently to account for the Difference of their Underftandings : Since we frequently fee bodily Diftempers, fuch as Frenzies and Fe- vers, make fuch an Alteration in the Un • derftanding, as to reduce Men, at other Times, of good and fenfible Difpofitions, at leaft, to the Level, with Madmen and Idiots.
XXVI. And therefore we cannot be po^ fitive, but that all created Spirits, may only differ, according to the different Combina- tions of that material Syflem, with which they are circumfcribed, and in which they are enclofed, by the great Author of Na- ture. For, as Extenfion feems to be a Pro- perty peculiar to material Subilance, it may be, that all created Spirits, do not only owe
E 2 their
28 An Essay on Spirit.
their Shape, and the Limits of their Exif- tence, to Matter, but alfo the Extent of thofe Faculties, which they are permitted to, exert. And that the fame Spirit, which, when cloathed with one Sett of material Organs, is only capable of exerting its Intelligence in the Performance of Attraclion or Repnl- fion, and when jarring Elements meet, breaks forth in Thunder and Lightening, and Earthquakes, or any other mechani- cal Operations^ may, when united to a dif- ferent Sett of Organs, of a more exquidte and delicate Contexture, be capable of ex- ercifing voluntary Motion, may be enabled to think and to reafon, to operate in Love or Hatred, and, when provoked by Op- pofition, may be agitated with Anger and Refentment, and break forth in Quarrels, Contention, and War.
XXVn. What other Spirits there are in theUniverfe, befide thofe which belong to this terraqueous Globe, and how or when they came into Exigence, human Underftandings sire not capable of pointing out : But more
thai:\
An Essay on Spirit. 29
tban probable it is, that the great Expanfe is full of Spirits of different Ranks and De- grees, from the loweft Power of A6livlty to the higheft Degree of Perfedllon, which it Is poflible for created Spirits to be pofTefTed of.
XXVm. To what Degree of Perfeaion Spirits are capable of being created, human Knowledge cannot poflibly determine : But certain it is, that the Degree muft be limited in every Being, but God alone ; and that God cannot create or produce any Being, equal in Power to, or independent on, him- felf; becaufe two All-powerfuls, two Su- premes, would imply a Contradiciion.
XXIX. We may, however, eafily fuppofe, that God may communicate to the Works qf his Hands, fuch Portions of his own Attri- butes, as are greatly beyond the Comprehen- fion of Mankind to conceive : Becaufe God can do every thing that does not imply a Contradiction. For, as a blind Man can- not apprehend how a Shepherd, from- the Top of an Hill, can prefide over feveral
Flocks
30 An Essay on Spirit.
Flocks of Sheep, wandering about, at a Piftance from each other ; how he knows when they ftray, or how, by the Help of his Eye-fight, he can be, as it were, om- nipr^fent : So a Man of the greateft Abili- ties may, for Want of Faculties, be un- able to conceive that Power, whereby a created intelligent Agent, of fuperior Qua- lifications to thofe communicated to Man- kind, can be enabled to fee in Darknefs as well as Light ; to know the inmofi: Recedes and Thoughts of Men's Hearts ; to pre- fide at once over fiich a World as this which we inhabit, and where two or three are ga- thered together, there to be alfb Invifibly in the Midft of them : And yet fuch a Power may certainly be communicated, becaufe \% implies no Contradiction,
XXX. Li like Manner, therefore, as wc fee Mankind fiirnifiied with Abilities to con- trive and form feveral Machines of won- derful Force and Efficacy ; to build Houfes and Ships, make Clocks and Watches ; and govern Kingdoms : So there feems to be no
Contradi(5lion,
An Essay on Spirit. 31
Contradi<5lion, in fuppofing that God might communicate fo much Power to one of his own Creatures, of a more exalted Nature than Man, as to enable him to create infe- rior Beings, and frame a World of his own, compofed of intelligent Agents : Which Pow- er, however, muft be limited, and mufl be dependent on the Supreme Being.
XXXI. And, as the Almighty God is the only fupreme, infinite, unlimited. Being in the Univerfe ; fo is he, probably, the only unembodied Spirit that exifts : That is, the only Spirit which is not limited, clogged, and fettered, with fome Kind, or Degree, of ina6tive Matter, which may ferve to give a Form and Shape, or Boundary, to its fpiri- tual Nature. For (2) there are Bodies cos- lejiialy and Bodies terrejlrial ; but the Glory of the cceleflial is one, and the Glory of the terrejlrial is another. And as we know not what the EfTence of that inactive Principle is, which we call Matter, we cannot fay,
(z) I Gr. XT, 40,
to
31 An Essay on SplRit.
to what exquifite Degrees of Perfedlion its Properties are reducible, or what Improve- ment it is capable of receiving ; but that fome (3) Spirits may be Rirnifhed with Bodies of fo delicate a Texture, that they may cloath themfehes with Light, as it were with a Garment, may make the Clouds their Cha- riots, and walk upon the Wirtgs of the Wind t By the organical Difpofition of which Bo- dies, the Spirits united thereto may be ca- pable of receiving and communicating to each other Ideas of bodily Pain and bodily Pleafurc, as well as intelle(5lual Pain and in- tellectual Pleafure, may have their Affec- tions and ther Paflions as well as we ; their Friendfhips and Animoflties ; their Wars and Alliances ; none of which, however, we can form any real Idea, or Notion of.
(3) Moft of the ancient Fathers fuppofed the Angels to have Bodies. See Clemens Alex. Pedag. 41 p. 10 1 : as alfo' Huetii Origeniana, lib. ii. c. 2, 5. Tertullian was fo abfurd,- as to fuppofe even God to hav€ a Body. Tert. de carne Chrifi. cap. 1 1, which I fuppofe he borrowed from the old Platonic Notion, of God being the Soul of ihe World. But tins God, he ought to have confidered, was not fuppofed to be the Supreme God. See Plats in Timao : See alfo Firg. j^ncid. lib. vi. v, 721.
for
An Essay on Spirit. 33
for Want of the fame Kind of Senfes, which they are fumifhed with ; any more than a deaf Man can of Sounds, or a blind Man can of Light and Colours.
XXXII. And, as to the Time when they Were created, we are as ignorant of that, as \ve are of their Natures. But probable it is, that as God is an adtive Spirit, for God is a Spirit, and hath exifted from all Eter- nity, he hath been conflantly employed in exerting this aftive Faculty ; and therefore may have created fome intelligent Beings, from fuch a diftant Duration of Time, as we can no otherwife defcribe but by calling it eternah For to imagine that there are no Spirits in the wide Expanfe of Space, but what have Reference to this terraqueous Globe, this Speck of Matter, on which Mankind are placed, or even this planetary Syftem, which is vifible to human Eyes ; and that no Worlds, filled with intelligent Spirits, were created till about 6000 Years ago ; about which Time, both Reafon and Revelation agree, that this Ball of Earth
F began
34 -^^2 Essay on Spirit.
began to revolve about the Sun, is a Tliouglit unworthy of a Philofopher, and inconfifteni with the Infinity of God's Pov^-er, as well as with the Eternity of his Erxiftence.
XJvXIII. And yet we ought to take No- tice, that in the Language of the Scriptures, both in the Old and New Teftament, when the Creation is fpoken of, it is only to be confidered as referring to the Creation of this World, in which there is no Mention made of the Creation of Angels, or of any other Beings, becaufe it would have been fo- reign to the Purpofe : And that therefore, St* "John begins his Gofpel with the fame Exprcflion that Mofes does ; in the Begin- ning, i. e, of this World. For when wc ipeak of any Beings, which exifted before this World was created, having no Meafures of Time, whereby, to denote, or diftlnguifh the diiferent Durations of their Exiftence, we mull: equally fay of them all, that they cxiftcd (4) /";/ the Beginni?ig, cr b'^fore the
(4) Gen. i. i. John'x. 1. xvii. 5. Pfal. cii. 5. Prov.vnx. 22. 23. Micah V. 2.
World
An Essay on Spirit. 3 J
World was, or of old, or from Everlajimg* See Seft. L. LI. LII.
XXXIV. And as God may communicate what Proportions he pleafes of his Attri- butes, to the different Gradations of created Beings, with which he hath been pleafed to fill the Univerfe : Each of thefe, with re- gard to Beings of their own Species, may have fuch Faculties and Properties communi- cated to them, as m.ay render thein know- able to each .other. But, with regard to Beings of a different Nature, thofc of a fuperior, or more excellent Kind, may not be cognifable, by Beings of an inferior Or- der ; though Beings of an inferior Kind may be eaiily cognifable to thofe of a more ex- alted Nature ; the Properties of the one be- ing of too exquifite and delicate a Frame and Contexture, to affe(5l the Perception or ftrike the Scnfes of the other. And hence it is, that human Beings may be furroundcd with Myriads of fpiritual Agents, without ever being fenfible thereof; unlefs thofe fu- F 2 pcrior
3^ An Essay 07i Spirit,
perior Beings are pleafed to affume fuch Forms, and condefcend to furnifh them-: felves with fuch Qualifications, as are ca- pable of making an ImprefTion on the hu- man Spirit from within, or the human Seii^ fes from without.
XXXV. Heftod^ one of the firfl: Heathen Authors extant, fuppofeth Myriads of invi- fible Spirits cloathed in Air, attending upon this terreftrial Globe, and employed as An- gels, that is, Meffengers, between the great God and Mankind, obferving their Adlions, and reporting them to Jupiter. And (5) Plato fays, that " Saturny well knowing *' that there was no Man who could have *' abfolute Empire over others, without '' abandoning himfelf to all Kinds of Vio^ " lence and Injuftice, fubje^ed the Nations ** not to Men, but to more noble and ex- *^ cellent Beings, as their Lords and Go-. " vernors ; namely, to (6) Damons, or /«-
*' telUgent
(5) ?latQ^ de Leg. lib. iv.
Word
An Essay on Spirit. 37
*^ telUgent Spirits^ of a more divine and ^* better Nature than themfelves, after the ^* fame Manner, as we deal with our Cat^ ** tie : For, as we do not fet a Bull over ^* an whole Herd of his own Kind, nor a ** Goat to govern a Flock of Goats ; but -* put thofe of both Kinds, under the Con- ?* duiSt of a Man ; fo God, who loves *' Mankind, placed them, at (irft, under '' the Condua: of Angels."
XXXVI. The (7) Greeks, it is certain, and Flato^ in particular, borrowed many of their theological Sentiments from the Hebrews ; among whom this, of a Number of invi- fible Spirits, attending upon this Globe of Earth, and prefiding over States and King- doms, was certainly one. For the Opi- nion of the yews upon this Head was, that
Word Damon, w? are not to underftand Etil-Spirits, as it hath been vulgarly thought to mean ; but rather happy ones, the Word Aat^wsi, Damon, originally fignifying bappy. But as thofe Spirits to which the Heathen gave the Appella- tion of happy, have been deemed by Chrt/Iiatis to be rather unhappy and evil Spirits : Therefore this Word is generally ^fapplied.
(7) See Eu/eh. Prsp. Evang. p. 507.
Almighty
38 j^n Essay on Spirit.
Almighty God, the firfl: Author and Crea- tor of all Things, was of fo tranfcendent a Nature, that before he created Beings of the loweft Rank, he produced an infinite Variety of Beings, in a gradual Defcent, which were flill greater and fuperior to others, who yet were employed by him to a<5l in a middle Station, between him and the lower Productions of his Almighty Power. The Septuagint Tranflation of the Bible therefore renders that PafTage in the Song of Mofes, which is mentioned, Deut. xxxii. 8, 9, after this Manner ; AJk thy Father y and he will Jhew thee -, thy El-' ders, and they will tell thee : When the Mojl High divided the Nations their Inheritance j When he feparated the Sons oj Adam, he Jet the 'Bounds of the Nations according to the Number oj the Angels oj Gody and the Lord's Portion is his People Jacob, the (8) Line oj his Inheritance Ifrael. And the wife Son of Sirach faith, (9) For in the
(8) Or Boundary. See I Cor. X. l6.
(9) Ecclus. xvii. 17.
Divijiorii
An Essay on Spirit, 39
Divijion of the Nations of the whole Earthy God fet a Ruler (or Governing Angel) over every People ; but Ifrael is the Lord's For- tion. The Jews accordingly fuppofed fome of thefe Angels to have been appointed as Guardian or Governing Spirits (i), over the feveral Nations of the Earth ; and that the Portion of Ifrael was particularly com- mitted to the Care of that Being, who is here denoted by the Name of the Lord*
XXXVII. It ought to be acknowledged, however, that the Words here quoted out of the Book of Deuferonofny, as rendered by the Septuagint, do not exadlly agree with the Hebrew Copy of the Bible. For, according to the Hebrew, it fhould run thus : When the Moft High divided the Natio?is when he feparated the Sons of Adam, he fet the Bounds of the Nations according to the Number of the Children o/' Ifrael, and ]e^
{ 1 ) It appears alfo from Clemens Alexandrinus, that this was the Opinion of the Chrijiian Church in his Time. See Gem. Alt?;. Strom, p. 309, 822, 828, 830, 832, Edit. Oxon. Pot.
H0VAH*5
J^0 An Essay on Spirit*
HOVAH*j Portion is his People: Jacob /^ the Lot of his Inheritance. But it fliould be obferved, that althdngh this Separation^ or Difperfion of the Sons of Adam^ this fetting the Bounds of the Nations^ was a Tranfaftlon which came to pafs long be- fore Ifrael had any Children to number, or tvas even himfelf In Being ; yet the Com^ mentators have taken much Pains to recon- cile this Text with the Matter of Fa6l % and to make the Number of the various Nations upon Earth, agree with the Num^ ber of the Children of Ifrael-, which, ne- verthelefs, they have not been able to ac- complifh : For* if the Number of the Chil* dren of Ifrael be computed by the Number of his immediate Defcendents, which were only thirteen, 'viz. twelve Sons^ and one Daughter ; this Number would be too few for the Number of Nations difperfed over the Earth ; and if all the Defcendents of Ifrael be taken into the Account, then the Number will be infinitely too large. As therefore the reading of this Text accor- ding to the Septuagint Verfion, is fupported
by
An Essay on Spirit* 41
by that PafTage, already quoted, out of the Book of Ecclefia/iicuSi as well as by other Parts of the Old Teflament ; and corref- ponds with the general Opinion of the moft learned ancient Jews : I am inclined to prefer the Septuagint Verfion of this Text, to the prefent Reading in our Hebrew Bible.
XXXVm. And what adds no rmall Weight with me in this Affair, is an Ex- preflion made Ufe of by St. (2) Paul, in his Epiftle to the Hebrews^ where, fpeaking of the fecond coming of Our Saviour, when he fhall appear in a State of Glory, mani- feflly fuperior to Angels, he fays, For unto the Angels hath he not put in Subjection the iForld to come of which we [peak. Whence it feems to appear, that it was St. TauV^ Opinion, that this prefent World had been put in Subje(5lion to Angels.
{2) Hihr^. 5.
G XXXCC
42 An Eassy on Spirit.
XXXIX. Which Ophiion is alfo confir- med by St. 'Jude, who feems to attribute the Error of the fallen Angels, who finned, as (3) St. Peter exprefTeth it, to their Mif- condu6t in the Government of thofe Pro- vinces which were allotted to their Charge. For, fays he, AJ^jA^s rg t85 few ryipva-ocvlcci rnv icLuicuv 'Ap^wj', dhXa. diroKiirovicLS to
S^Sa-JULOlS cl'l(^lQlS VTTO ^0(pOP TsTWpjJCgJ/. The jiU"
gels 'which kept not their Principalities with due Care ; but negledied their proper Pro- vinces, he (God) hath rejerved in everlajl- ing Chains under Darknefs : ¥ox fo this Verfe ought to be tranflated. The Verb Tr)piMy which we tranflate kept, fignifying the keeping of a Thing with Care and Diligence : In which Senfe it is ufed, when it is applied in the Septuagint, to the (4) keeping the Commandments of God, and keeping our own Hearts, and our Ways.
(3) 2 Pet. ii. 4.
(4) I Sam.XY. 11. Prev. iii. l. zi. iv, 23. viii. 34.
And
An Essay on Spirit. 43
And in Canticles vii. 11, 12, it is ufed to denote the Keepers of a Vineyard, who were to drefs it, and cultivate it. And, as to the Word 'Ap;^/), that is generally ufed- by the Septuagint to denote a Frmcipality, as this Word is rendered in the Margin o£ our Englijh Bible. And it is to be obfer- ved, that it is the Word "Apx'^iv and "A/j- ;^ov']g5, which Daniel gives to thofe ruling Angels, which are faid, in the Book of (5) Daniel, to prefide over the Realms of Gra- day Perfta^ and Ifrael. The Word aVo- XeiiTM) which our Tranflatlon renders left, is frequently applied by the Septuagint, to denote the leaving or neglecting any Bufi- nefs, which it was our Duty to have purfu- cd ; as when (6) Baafia is faid to have left off' building Ramah, a?id let his Work ceafe. And when Solomon blameth the (7) fl range Woman^ for forsaking the Guide oj her Toz^/^. The Word o'ixA'fioy, though itproperly
( 0 T^nn. X. 13, 20, 2 1 . Jli. I ,
(6) 2 Chron, xvi. ^.
(7) Pro'v. ii. 17.
G 2 fignifics
44-* •^''^ Essay on Spirit.
{ignifies a Dwellifig-place, in general, yet it is not confined to (ignify a Houfe, nor even a Province, or larger Space of Ground ; but is by the Prophet (8) Jeremiah applied to denote the wide Extent of God's holy Habitation in Heaven : However, it is- here retrained by the Word TcTior, to denote the proper and peculiar Provinces of thefe Angels, which they may be fuppo- fed to have been employed in the Conduct and Management of; and accordingly, the Word oi-iLi\v\s denotes fuch a Domeftick as is employed in the Bufinefs of the Houfe, and is always ufed by the Septuagint to fignify a (9) Servant. And therefore^ this Expref- fion of 'AiroXnrlv^tCLS to 'iS'iov oix-vlyipiovy may very well be underftood to fignify their for- faking, or neglecting, their proper Bufinefs, or Provinces, that were given into their Charge by God.
XL. As for the Opinion of the more jnpdern Jeics, it is no eafy Matter to coir
(8) Jer. XXV. 30.
(9) Gen. ix. 25. xxvii. 37. xliv. 33, ^c. j^^
An Essay 07i Spirit. 45
Ie6l or fix their Sentiments ; becaufe that, fince the corning of our Saviour, the Jeivs^ not being willing to abide by the Expofi- tlons given to the Prophecies In the Old Teftament, by the ChriftianSy or even by their own ancient Paraphrafts, made a Col- kiftlon of their oral Traditions, which they gathered together into one Book, which they called the Tahiud : And finding many feeming ContradI6lIons In the literal Inter- pretation of thofe Texts of Scripture, which were unlverfally allowed by the ancient Jews to refer to their Mcfliah ; and not being willing to expound them of different Advents of one and the fame Perfon ; the one In a State of Humiliation, and the other in a State of Glory ; the one in this World, and the other in the next ; they then run Into numberlefs abfurd Contrivances, of expounding the Scriptures by a cabaliillcal Method of Interpretation, in fijiding out myfterlous and hidden Meanings, not only in the Sentences and Words of Scripture, but alfo In the very Letters themfelvcs, as
well
46 A?i Essay on Spirit.
well as in the Number of Letters, of which thofe Words were compofed : And, by this Means, the Learning of the more mo- dern "Je^^s is reduced into fuch a nonfenfl- cal Jargon of Sounds, without Senfe, as makes their Works infinitely tirefome in the Perufal. And therefore, rather than fa- tigue my Reader with an Account of fuch Trifles, I fhali chufe to lay before him the Opinion of the mofl fenfible and learned among the ancient 'Jews, as I find it collec- ted very judicioufly, by Eufebius Bifhop of Ccefarea in Palejiine, who mufl: be allow- ed to be a tolerable Judge, becaufe he lived amongfl: them in the Land of Judcea.
XL. (i) " The yewsy fays he, after that Eflence of the All-powerful God, who had neither Beginning, nor Origin, place that (2) Head, or Chief, which was
a
(i) Eiifeh. Prsp. Evang. lib. rii. cap. ij.
(2) 'Af>%^, which Word is fometimes ufed by the Authors of the SeptuagintVerfionof the Bible, inftead of'AfXfliv, to denote the Head, or Chief, of any Society, or coUeftive Body of Men. See Exod. vi. 21, >
** begotten
/In Essay on Spirit. 47
" begotten of the Father, and therefore " was his Firft-born. Which, as he is " the Co-adjutor of his Council, is there - " fore called the Image of his Father. " Which ChteJ, as he far exceeds all crea- ••* ted Beings, is for this Reafon called the " Image of God, the Wifdom of God, the ** Logos, or Word oj God, the Prince of ** the Lord's Hoft, and the Angel of his ** Council. As to thofe Intelligcncies, which ** come after this Chief, they are of fuch ** various and different Forms, that human ** Expreflions cannot denote them, but by ** Compariibn and Analog}^ to thofe Things ** which are the Objedts of our Sen- *-* fes ; as the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, ** and the Heaven, which enclofeth all *' Things. As the divine Apoftle does, " when he fays, there is one Glory of the " Sun, and another Glory of the Moon, and " another Glory of the Stars ^ for one Star * * differeth from another Star in Glory, In " like Manner, muft we think of the Sub- ** ordination of unbodied, intelligent. Be- ** ings. For, as the ineffable and infinite
** Power
48 An Essay on Spirit.
** Power of God (like Heaven) compre* *' hends all Things ; in the fecond Place *' comes the operating and illuminating ** Power of the divine Logos ; for which " Reafon he is called by the Hebr£ws, the *' Light y and the (3) Sun of Jujiice : *' Then, after this (4) fecond Eflence, ais ** it were in the Place of the Moon^ comes •* the holy Spirit, which they place in this " royal Dignity, and Degree of (5) Principa- " lity ; bccaufe it is the Will of the great " Archite6t to appoint him to the Princi- ** pality of thofe inferior Beings, which may <* want his Afliftance, Who therefore, ob- " taining the third Place, confers on thofe ** who are inferior to him, thofe excellent •* Virtues, which he himfelf received from •* another, to wit, from the divine Logos ^ *' his Better and Superior ; whom we before ** fald was the fecond to the fupreme, un- " begotten, and almighty, God. — So, fays
(3) Mai. iv. 7.. Which Phih Judaui inteqirets of the Mefpah.
(4) Aivlifuv ialav.
" he,
-^// Essay on Spirit. 49
** he, all the Hebrew Divines, after that ** God, who is over all, and after his firft- ** born Wifdom, pay (6) divine Worfhip ** to the third and holy Power, which they ** call the holy Spirit, by which they them- " felves are illuminated, when they are di- ** vinely infpired."
XLIL In another Place, (7) Enfebins, in explaining the Sentiments of the Jews^ fays, that, ** as Milefius made a fecond " Principle of Water ; Heraclitus of Fire ; '** and Pythagoras of Numbers, &c ; fo the ** yews made a fecondary Eflence of the " Logos y which was begotten by the Firji « Caufe:'
XLin. And in another Place, (8) Eu-
febius quotes a Paflage out of Fhilo Judaus^
wherein that Author calls the Logos, the
(9) Second God, in whofe Image Man was
created. And again, where he calls this
(6) AwoSwa^oto'ni.
(7) Eufeb. Praep. Evang. lib. vii. cap. 12.
(8) Eu/eb.?x?£^. Evang. lib. vii. cap. 13.
(9) £nvii^oi Qm.
H Logos,
50 An Essay on Spirit.
Logos^ The iirft-born Son of God, to whom €jod had committed the Care of all Things, ( I ) as a great King appoints a Minijier^ or Vice7'o\\ to aB under him,
XLIV. And, in another Place, (2) he quotes Fhilo, for calling this Second Caufe^ the Image of God^ the jirfi-born Logos, the viofi ancient of Angels^ andy as it were the Archangel^ fuhfifiing with tnany Names. For, fays Philoj He is called the (3) Chiefs the Name oj God, the Logos, the Image, and the (4) Overfeer, Vifiter, or Regarder, of Ifrael.
XLV. I am very fcnfible that fome lear- ned Men are of Opinion, that thefe were only the Sentiments of the fews belonging to Palep.ijie and Egypt ; but if we look in- to thofe Books, which contain the Doctrines,
( I } OTflt TK |U.iya>kOw ^ucCKiu^ irVUfXPi ^x^e^ilett.
^ (2) Eu/ei. Prxp. Evang. lib. xi. cap. 15, Uift rshvlifou
Ai/ioti.
{5) {^fx}i:
(4) 'O ofuv iiTfariA.
which
An Essay 07i Spirit. 51
which all Jews either do, or ought to pro- fefs, that is, the Scriptures of the Old Teftament, we fiiall find that there is great Foundation for the afore-mentioned Opi- nions of the Jews, with regard to Angels ; and for all thefe Appellations, which are here given to th^s fecoiidary Effcncey who is, by PhilOf very juftly called, the Archajigel withmanyNames, For the Prophet (5) Daniel declares, that the Angel Gabriel, having touched him, and fpoken to him, faid, that he was come to make him widerjia?id what Jhould bejal his People in the latter Days, and that he would have come fooner, but that the (6) Prince (or ruling or governing Angel) of the Kingdom of Perfia withftood him one and twenty Days, till Michael, one dj the chief Princes, or, as the Hebrew exprefleth it, the First Prince, ca7ne to help him. And again, the Angel fays. And now I will return to fight againfl the Prince
(5) D<3«. viii. 16. ix. 2!. X. 13, 20, 21. x!i. i.
(6) Heb. "yii- Sept. "A^^'^-n Simmias, the Diiciple of Socrates, in Plato s Phaedo, fpeaking of Guardian -Angels, calls them AsoTrola?, i. e. Lords or Govemsrs.
H 3 cj
J I An Essay on Spirit.
of Perfia, and when I am gone forth ^ lo the Prince of Graecia fiall come. But I will fiew thee what is noted in the Scripture of ^ruth ; and there is none that holdeth with me in thefe T^hings^ but Michael your Prince, And a little afterwards he calleth Michael the Great Prince which Jlandeth for the Childre?! of Ifrael. Or, as Philo would have exprefled it, o opcau Ifrpa-nX ' He that regardethy or is the Guardian Angel of, Ifraeh
XLVI. And correfpondent hereto the Septuagint Tranflation of the Bible, as be- fore quoted, renders that Pailage in the Song of Mojes, which is mentioned, Deut, xxxii. 8, 9. AJk thy Father, and he will Jlxw thee j thy Elders, and they will tell thee ; When the Moft High divided to the Na- tions their Inheritance ; when he feparated the Sons of Adam, he fet the Bounds of the Nations according to the Number of the An- gels of God, and the Lord*^ Portion is his People Jacob, the Line of his Inheritance Ifrael. Upon which Words Eufebius has
this
An Essay on Spirit. 55
this Remark. (7) <* By the Words the Mojl
** Highy Mofes denotes the Father, who is
" God over all ; and by the Lord^ he means
*^ the Logos, who is called Lord, as being,
" with regard to us, next to that God who
** is over all. But, fays he, all Nations
*' whom he calls the Sons of Adam, were,
*' for Reafons to us unfearchable, diftribu-
" ted according to the Will of the Moft
" High, to Governing and Guardian An-
** gels, who elude our Sight. But to the
*' moil: eminent Governor, Ruler, and King
** of all, as to his only Son, he allots the
" Government of Jacob, or IfraeL" And
in this Interpretation he is fupported by Cle-
mens Alexandrinus, who fays pofitively, that
(8) Angels were appointed by God to pre fide
over Notions and Cities : That (9) they
are his Minifters in the Governmeut of ter-^
reflrial ^ffdrs ', and, in (i) particular, that
(7) Eufeb. Dem. Evang. lib. iv. cap. 7.
(8) Clem. Alex. Strom, lib. vi. p. 822. Edit. Ppt. (g) Id. ibid. lib. vii. p. 839.
(i) Id. ibid. p. 832.
they
J 4 -^^ Essay on Spirit.
they were by his Command dijlributed among the Nations^ &c.
XLVIL Whence it Is manlfefl-, that, ac- cording to the Scriptures of tlie Old Tefta- ment, Angels were appointed to prefide over People and Nations upon Earth, and that one Angel, in particular, who is called by Mofes (2) Jehovahy and by the Septua- gint is tranflated the Lord, had IfraeJ affign- ed to him by the Moft Highy as the Portion of his Inheritance ; and therefore may very reafonably be fuppofed to be the fame Perfon with that Firji Prince, mentioned by Daniel, whom he alfo calleth Mi c h a e l, the great Prince which fiandethjor the Children oj If- rael ; and with that Archangel with many Names, whom Philo calls the Regarder of Ifrael.
XL VIII. And what is remarkable, Is this, that this Name of Michael, which is given by Daniel to this Archangel, literally
(2) See Sea. XXXVII.
fignifies
An Essay o?i Spirit. yy
fignlfies (3) who is like God; and, accor- dingly, Philo obferves, that one of the Names belonging to this Archangel was, the Image of God, Which Image (4) he calleth the Logos and the Second God, and fuppofed Man to have been made in the ImaQ;e of this Image ; Becaufe, fays he, ** nothing mortal ** can be formed in the Image of the Su- ** preme God, the Father of all Things."
XLIX. Which Logos, or Word of God, is, in the Book of Wifdom, manifeftly fpo- ken of, as the Guardian Angel of Ifrael ; where the Author of that elegant Work, in defer ibing the (5) Angel, who was fent to refcue them from their Egyptian Bondage, by deftroying the Firft-born of the Egyp- tians, fays : For (6) while all Things were in quiet Silence, and that Night was in the Midfi of her fwift Courfe, thine Almighty
(3) The Word iWiV^W, being derived from the three fl/- ^rfw Words: Mi, which fignifies au-J»o ; C/^«, which fignilies /o, ox like, ox the fame I nxidE/, which fignifics Go</.
(4) Eu/eh. Prasp. Evang. lib. vii. cap. 13.
(5) Exod. xxiii, 21.
(6) JTifJ.xyin. 13—16.
Word
jtf An Essay on Spirit.
Word leapt down from Heaven ^ out oj thj royal Ihrone^ as a fierce Man of War into the Midd of a Land of DeftruBion, and brought thy unfeigned Commandment, as a fharp Swordy and Jianding up, filed all things with Death, and it touched the Hea- ven, but it flood upon the Earth, And there- fore alfo the Jerufalem Targum on Exod* xii. 23, where it is faid in the Hebrew : And Jehovah will pafs through to fmite the Egyptians, paraphrafes it by faying. Aid the V\! oKT> OF ] eh o y au fiall pafs through to fmite the Egyptians. Which Ex- preffion of Memra yehovce, or Word of Jehovah, is fo favourite an Expreflion among all the Chaldee Paraphrafts on the Old Teftament, that where the original Ex- preflion in the Hebrew, fays, Jehovah did fuch or fuch a Thing, they commonly para- phrafe it, by attributing thofe Operations to the Memra, that is, the Logos, or Word of Jehovah. Inftances of which it would be endlefs to produce.
L. And
An Essay on Spirit. 57
L. And as this Angel, whofe Portion is Ifraely is called the JVord of God, becaufe God employeth him to carry his Word ; fo is he alfo, by the fame Figure of Rhetoric, called the Wijdom of Gody becaufe he is em- ployed by God to execute the Purpofes of his Wifdom. For thus the wife Son of Si" rach, when fpeaking of this Guardian An- gel of Ifrael, by the Name of Wifdom, fays (7), / came out of the Mouth of the Moji High, and covered the Earth as a Cloud. 1 dwelt in high Places, and my throne is in a cloudy Pillar. So the Crea- tor of all Tihings gave me a Command- mint , and he that made me caufed me to reft, and faid, let thy Dwelling be in Jacob, and thine Inheritance in Ifrael. He crea- ted me Jrom the Beginni?2g, before the World, and I foall never fail. In the holy tabernacle Iferved him ; and fo was I e/la- blified in Sion. Likewife in the beloved City he gave me Reji, and in Jerufalem was
(7) Ecdus. xxiv. I, — 12.
I WV
58 An Essay on Spirit.
my Power. And I took Root in an honou- rable People^ evefi in the Portio?i of the Lord's Inherita?ice. I therefore being eter- nal, am given to all my Children which are named of him, i. e, I am fent to the Children of Ifraely who are God's peculiar People, and are fo named of him. See hev, xxvi. 12. Micah iv. 5.
LI. Where it is to be obferved, that this Being is fpoken of, as coming out of the Mouth of the Mofl: High, made and created-, which mufl: be underftood in the fame Senfe with thofe Words oi Mofes, when he defcribes the Creation of Light : And Godfaid, let there be Light ; and there was Light ^ Gen. i. 3. It is likewife to be obferved, that this Guar- dian Angel of Ifraely whofe Throne was in the cloudy Pillar, &c, is here declared to have been a created Being, in Terms as ftrong and plain as it is in the Power of Language to exprefs. It may alfb fur- ther be remarked, that although he is pofi- tively faid to have been made and created, yet becaufe he was fpoken into Exiftence
before
^n Essay on Spirit. yj^
before the Sun and the Moon, thofe Mea- fures of Duration, which were given Man- kind, (8) for Signs J and Jor Seajom, and for Days, and Jor Tears ; becaufe he was in the Beginning, before the World, he ftiles himfelf eternal. See Se6t. XXXIJI.
Ln. And in the fame Kind of Stile it is that Solomon, fpeaking of this fame Being, under the Denomination of Wifdom, repre- fents it as a feparate intelligent Agent, per- fonally fubfifting with GoAfrofn Everlafting, becaufe it was brought forth before the Cre- ation of this World. For thus, fpeaking in the Perfon, and under the Chara&r of Wifdom, he faith (9), Jehovah (i) pofejfed 7ne in the Beginning of his Ways, before his Works of old, I was fet up from ever- lasting, from the Begi?ining, or ever the Earth was. When there were no Depths, I was brought forth ; when there were no Fountains abounding with Water. Be-
(8) Gen. i. 14.
(9) Prov. viii. 22.
( 1 ) In the Septuagint it is, The Lord created me.
I 2 Jore
6o A71 Essay <j;^ Spirit.
fore the Mount aim were fettled 5 before the Hills was I BROUGHT FORTH : While ds yet he had not made the Earthy nor the Fields^ nor the higheji Part of the Dujl oj the World. When he prepared the Hea- vens I was there : When he fet a Compafs upon the Face of the Deep : When he gave to the Sea his Decree, that the Water Jhould not pafs his Commajidment : When he ap- pointed the Foundations of the Earth -, then 1 was by him as one brought up with him : And I was always his Delight , rejoicing al- ways before him,
LIII. But Philo fiiddeus further obferves, that this Archangel with many Names, whofe Portion was Ifrael^ was alfo called by the Name of God. Now let us fee what Foundation there is for this in the Scriptures of the Old Teftament. The Name of God, which the Jews never pronounced, but'called it the ineffable Name, was Jeho- vah ; fo that, whenever in reading the Bible, they met this Word, inftead thereof, they always faid Adonai or Elohim ; and the
Authors
All Essay o?i Spirit. (Ji
Authors of the Septuagint Tranflatlon of the Bible, who were yews, when they rendered it into Greek, always tranflated it by the Word Kvpioi, which we in Englifi render the Lord, Which is the Reafon alfo, why Philo does not mention that Name of God by which this Archangel was denominated, but fays only, in general, that he was cal- led by the Natne of God, Now the Inftan- ces in the Old Teftament, where an An- gel, and in particular, that Angel which aded as a Guardian Angel to the Seed of Abraham, and prefided over the Children* of Ifrael, is called Jehovah^ are very nu- merous.
LIV. Thus, when Hagar fled from the Face of her Miftrefs, it is faid, that an An- gel of Jehovah Jound her in the WildernefSy and the Angel of Jehovah fiid unto her : "Return to thy Mi/lrefs. Now, though Mo- fes in this Place calls the Perfon who fpake to Hagar an Angel of fehovah, yet Mofes afterwards mentions this fame Perfon under the diredt Name of Jehovah : For, fays
he.
6i An Essay on Spirit.
he, (2) Hagar called the Name of ]?.vlo- V AH that /pake to her^ Ihou God feejl me,
LV. Thus alfo it is faid of Abraham, that (3) Jehovah appeared unto him m the Plains oj Mamre ; and he fate in the T'ent- door in the Heat of the Day ; and he lift up his Eyes and looked, and loy three Men flood by him. Now that two of the Perfons which are here called Men, becaufe they ap- peared as fuch, had each of them the Ap- pellation of yehovah given them, will ap- pear from the Context : For when one of thefe Men enquired for Sarah, and faid, Lo ! Sarah thy Wife /hall have a Son ; upon which Sarah laughed within herfelf : Then it is pofitively faid, that Jehovah faid tmto Abraham, why did Sarah laugh f Is any thing too hard for Jehovah ? And yet it is faid, after all this, that the Men rofe up from thence ^ and looked towards Sodom ; and Abraham went with them to bring them on the Way : And Jehovah faid, (hall I
{2) Gen. xvi. 7, — i j. (3) Gen. xviii. 1, t^r.
hidfi
An Essay on Spirit. 65
hide jrom Abraham that thing which I dot And when two of the Men had turned their Faces from thence, and went towards 5*0- dom ; it is faid, Abraham jlood yet before Jehovah. And when Abraham was plea- ding in Favour of ^odom and Gomorrah^ he faid, among other Things, to this fe^ hovah with whom he was converfing, PjalJ not the fudge of all the Earth do right ? And when the Difcourfe was ended, Mofes fays, that Jehovah went his Way^ as foon as he had left communicating with Abra- ham, and Abraham returned to his Place, Whence it is manifefi: beyond all Doubt, that one of thefe three Men who was left alone in Converfation with Abraham^ is called Jehovah, and the Judge of all the Earth.
LVI. And when the two Men, which had left Abraham and Jehovah converfing together, came to Sodom, it is faid, (4) And there came two Angels to Sodom at Even. And when the Morning arofe^ then
(4) Gen. xix. I, iic.
the
^4 -^^^ Essay on Spirit.
/)&^ Angels hajlened Lot. And he faid^ that is, one of the Angels faid, Efcape for thy Life ; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. And the Sun was rifen up- en the Earth, when Lot entered into Zoslu 7hen Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah Brimjlone and Fire from Jehovah out of Heaven. Whence it is plain, that one of thefe two Angels is here alfo dignified with the Appellation of fe- hovahy and yet is reprefented as ading un- der the Influence of another fehovah in Heaven. So that it is manifefl, here are two diftindl Perfons, or Angels, which ap- peared upon Earth, to each of which is gi- ven the Appellation of fehovah.
LVIL Again, when Jacob lived with his Father Laban^ and was giving an Account to his Wives of their Father's Conduct and Be- haviour towards him, he fays, (5) And the Angel of God fpake to me in a Dream^ fay- ingy Jacob j and I faid, here am I; and he
(5) Gen, xxiv. 47, xxxi. u»
faid.
A72 Essay 07i Spirit. (^y
faid^ I am the God of Bethel, where thou cinointedjl the Pillar and vowed a Vow u?2to. vie. Now the Vow which Jacob made at 'Bethel was this, (6) If God be with me^^ and will keep me in this Wajy that I go^ and will give me Bread to e^t^ and Raiment to put on J fo that J come again to my Father's. Houfe in Peace: Then fiall Jehovah be my God. Whence it is pkin, that an An- gel of God, fpeaking to "Jacob, calls him- felf (7) y^^o'Utf^ the Go</ 0/^ Bethel.
LVIII. Thus alfo we find it faid, that (8) /i6^ Angel of Jehovah appeared u?ito Mofes, in a Flame of Fire out of the Buf:, ^nd Mofes [aid, I will now turn a/jde, and fee this great Sight, wJjy the BuJIj is not burnt. And when Jehovah Jaw that he had turned ajide to Jee^ God called unto him out oj the Midft of the BuJJ.\ Moreover, he faid, I am the God of thy Fathers, the
(6) Gen. xjcvlii. 20, 21.
(7) See alfo Gf«. xxxii. 24, ^c; and compare it with llofea xii. 4, 5.
(8) Exod. iii, 2, 6, Ads vii. 30, 35.
K God
&& An Essay on Spirit.
Gi?^ ^ Abraham, the God oj Ifaac, and the God oJ Jacob. And Mofes hid his Face y J or ke was afraid to look upon God. Where it is manifeft, that an Angel is called by MofeSy Jehovah ; and that the Angel calls himfelf, the God of Abrahanty the God of IJbac, and the God of Jacob:' '^' ^V -. '^^ ^'"''v
LIX. Thusalfo, when the Children of ^ raelwcxQ marching towards the Red-Sea, if is faid, that (9) the Angel of God, which 'went before the Camp of Ifrael, removed and went behind them, and the Pillar of the Cloud went from before their Face, and flood behind them. And yet, in another Place, it is faid, that (i) Jehovah went before them by Day in a Pillar of a Cloud, to lead them the Way -, and by Night in a Pillar of Fire^ to give them Light.
LX. It is alfo faid, when Mofes went up to Mount Sinai, that (2) Jehovah called un-
(9) Exod. xiv. ig. (i) Exod. xiii. 21. (2) Exod. xix. 3, ^f»
to
An Essay on Spirit. 67
to him out of the Mountain, And again, that Mofes came and called for the Riders of the People y and laid before their Faces all theje Words which Jehovah commanded him. And that Mofes returned all the Words of the People of Ifrael unto Jehovah. That Je- hovah Jaid again unto Mofes, go unto the People y and fa7i5iify them to- Day and to- Morrow y and be ready againjl the third Day : For the third Day Jehovah will come downy in the Sight oj all the People ^ upon Mount Sinai, ^nd the third Day, Mowit Sinai was altogether ohm Smoke ^ becaufe Je- hovah defc ended upon it in Fire. ^^ And Jehovah came down upon Mount Sinai. — And ^'E'o.Qv K'A called up Mofes unto the 7op of the Mount. And God [pake all thefe Words, faying, I am Jehovah thy God, which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, ^f. And yet St. Stephen, who was a Jew, affirms, that (3) the Law was gi- ven by the Difpofition 0/ Angels : And that it was an Angel that [pake to Mofes
(3) Ads vii. 33, 38.
.\ ' K 2 from
68 'Afi Essay on Spirit. â–
from Mount Sinai, a7id with our Fathers, who received the lively Oracles to give unto us. And St. 1*0111 fays, that (4) the Law was ordained of Angels. And, in his Epiille to the Hebre%vs, he calls it, (5) the Word Jpoken of Angels.
LXT. It is likewife to be obferved, that, when (6) Mojes and Aaron, and Nadab and Abihu, and feventy of the Elders of IfraeU went up into the Mount, by the C-ommand of God, it is faid, T^hey faw the God of Ifrael ; — alfo they faw God, and did eat and dri?ik : That is, they faw the God of Ifrael, and did live to eat and drink. Whereas, when Mofes afterwards applied to God, and begged it of him, as a Favour, that he might fee his Glory, or Face, that he might know him ; (7) Je- hovah faid unto him, thou canjl not fee my ■Face ; for there fiall no Man fee me, and
(4) Gal. iii. 9.
(5) Heh. ii. 2.
(6) Exod. xxiv. 10, i^c.
(7) Exod. xxxiii. 17, (ifc.
llve^
An Essay on Spirit. 6^
live. But, fays he to Mofes, I will make all my Goodtiefs pafs before thee, and I will proclaim the Name of Jehovah before thee : And it fJmll come to pafs, while my Glory paffeth by, that I will put thee in a Clift of the Rock, and will cover thee with my Hand while I pa/s by : And I will take away mine Hand, a?id thou Jloalt fee what (8) follows me -, but my Face fhall not be feen. And accordingly, when Mo/es returned to the Mount, it is faid, that Jehovah def- cended in the Cloud, and food with him there, and proclaimed the Name (?^ Jeho- vah. And ]EVi ow hH pajjed by before him and proclaimed ]ehow AÂ¥i, Jehovah God, merciful and gracious, &c. ^nd Mo- fes made hafe^ and bowed his Head and worjh'tpped.
(8) The Original, which in our Tranflation, we render Back-Parts, properly fignifies any Thing or Perfon that is behind or followeth another. In which Senfe it is ufed Gen. xviii. 10. When Mc/es faith, andS2LXz\\ heard it in the Tent-Door, luhich luas behind him. So alfo, Jojhua vi.
13. And the Rearnvard folloived after the Ark. So alfo, 2 Sam. X. g. If'^hen Joaby^w that the Front of the Battle 'u:as again]} him before and BEHIND. See alfo 2 Chrcn. xiii,
14, i^c. ijc.
LXIL Whence
yo v^;^ Essay 07i Spirit.
- LXIL Whence it is manifeft, that this yehovdhy whom Mofes mzd^ hafte to wor- fhfp, could not be that jfehvahy whofe Face could not be fcen, whom no Man could fee and live ; but the Jehovah who Jol/owedthc Invifible Jehovah, and was pro- bably the fame Perfon with that God of Ifraely who was feen by Mofes and Aaron, and Nadab and Abihu, and the feventy El- ders of Ifrael : And who is called by God, in another Place, the Similitude, or Image, of Jehovah, For, fays Jehovah unto the People of Ifrael, with my Servant Mofes will I /peak Mouth to Mouth ; and (9) the Similitude of Jehovah Jhall he behold,
LXin. Now this Jehovah, or this Simi-f litude, Image, or Reprefentative of Jeho- vah, which Mofes beheld, is manifeftly the fame Perfon with that Guardian Angel of Ifrael, who had fo often appeared already, and fpoken to Abraham, Jacob, and Mofes,
(9) Numb. xii. 7, 8,
In
An Essay 07i Spirit. 71
in the Name and Pcrfon of 'Jehovah ; bc^\
caufe it was on this very Account that Mo-
f$s defired oF God to fhew , him his Glory,
that he might know the Perfon who was to
condu6l the Ijraelites into the promifed
Land. For thus it is that Mofes mtrodiU.-
ceth his Requeft. ( i ) yhd Mofes [aid unA
to Jehovah, fee thou jayeji unto me, bring
up this People : And thou haft not let me
know whom thou wilt fend with me. — Now
therefore I pray thee, ij I have found Grace
in thy Sight, Jhew me now (2) thy Way;'
that I may know thee : And confider that
this Nation is thy People. And jEHovAHi
jaid, I will do this Thing that thou hafl Jpo-^
ieny &c. And he Jaid^ thdu canjl not Jee -
(0 Exod.xxxXn. 12, ^c.
(2) The original Word ^"»i is ufed in a great Variety of Senfes in the Old Teftament ; the Septuagint Verfion renders it in this Place "Liavlov, thyfdf. And in the fame Senfe it probably is, that Da^'iJ, praying tojeho-uah, fays, God be merciful unto us, and blefs us ; and caufe thy Face to ' fhine upon us : That THy Way (or Thou) may be knonvn up- on Earth, thy facing Health among all Nations, Pfal. Ixvii. z. And in Ffal. Ixxvii. I3. He fays, tht Way, O God, (or Thoii) is in the SanSIuary. And hence probably it is, that the Prophet Amos calls the God or Idol of Beerjheba, the Way of Beerlheba, A?n. viii. 14.
' my
71 An Essay on Spirit.
my Faee ; for there Jhall no Man fee my Face and live. But it Jhall come to pajs, while my Glory pajjeth by, that I will put thee in a Clijt of the Rock ; a?td will cover thee with mine Hand^ while I pafs by ; and I will take away mine Hand^ and thou Jhalt fee what followeth me : But my Facefmll not. be feeUi &c. ^
LXIV. So that this Being which follow- ed fehovah, this Way, this Glory of yeho"^ Vdh, whom the invifible fehovah proclaim-, ed to be fehovah as well as himfelf, is ma-., nifeftly that Angel, who was appointed by God to conduct the Ifraelites into the pro- mifed Land. And therefore God faith to Mofes, in another Place, (3) Behold I fend an Angel before thee to keep thee in the Way, and to bring thee ijito the Place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his Voice, provoke him not, for he will not par^ don your T^rajifgrefjiom ; for my Name IS IN HIM. That is, behold I fend an
(3) Exod. xxiii. 20, z\.
Angel
An Essay on Spirit. 73
Angel before thee a(5ling in my Stead, and by my Authority j beware of him, and obey his Voice, provoke him not, for / have proclaimed him Jehovah ; and, as he adts by my Authority, and my Power is de- legated unto him, as my Similitudes Image, or Reprefentative, he will not pardon your Tranfgreflions, for my Name of 'Jehovah is in him.
LXV. And hence It comes to pafs, that this Second Jehovah is in a particular Manner diftinguifhed by the Appellation of the God of Ifrael, the Jehovah of ZioTif and the Jehovah of the Jews. For thus the Prophet Hofea^ fpeaking by Authority from God the great Jehovah faith, (4) But I will have Mercy on the Houfe of Judah, and will fave them by Jehovah their God. And Zechariah the Prophet, fpeaking of the fame People, faith, (5) I will jirengthen them in Jeho- vah, and they Jhall walk up and dou^n in
(4) tiof. i. 7.
(5) Ze(h. X. \%,
HIS
/4 ^^^ Eassy on Spirit.
HIS 1^ AM -£., faith Jehovah. Not in my Isfame, but in his Name, faith the invifible yehovab ; that is, in the Name of the God of Ifrael, whom they had feen. And, in another Place, the fame Prophet faith, (6) Sing and rejoice, O Daughters of Zion ; Jor^ loy I come, and 1 will dwell in the ^Midji of thee^ jaith Jeho v ah : And many Nations fiall be joined to Jehovah in that Day, and Jldall be my People : A?id I will dwell in the Midfi of thee, and thou Jhalt know that //^d- Jehovah of Hosts hath fent me unto thee. Where the Jehovah of Zion is plainly diilingnifhed from the Jeho' 'vah of Hofts, and acknowledgeth himfelf to be fent by him.
LXVI. The only Difficulty In this Cafe is this, that the Jehovah of Zion, though In this one Place he acknowledgeth him- felf to be fent by the Jehovah oj Hojls, yet in other Places this Jehovah of Zion, or the Angel which appeared unto Abraham
(6) Zech. ii» lO, lu
and
An Essay on Spirit. 75
xind Jacoby and MofeSy does not always de- clare that he is deputed, and fpeaks by the delegated Authority of the Jehovah of Hofts ; which is the general Meaning of the Phrafe of fpeaking m the ISJame of any one ; but actually and literally fpeaks in his own Name, and calls himfelf Jehovah^ and faith, / am the God of Abraham ; and / am the God of Bethel ; and / brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, ^c ; and pofitivcly pro- hibits Mofes and the Children of Ifrael from worfhipping any other God but himfelf: T^hou, fays he, foalt have none other Gods before me* Thereby feeming to forbid even the Worlhip of the Supreme fehovah, the Jehovah of Hojis,
LXVII. In Anfwer to which it is to be obferved, that the Hebrews were far from being explicit and accurate in their Style, but left great Room for the (7) Imagina-
(7) Any one that does but open the Englijh Bible, and obierve the Number of Words that are inferted in Italic Characters, none of which are in the Original, will imme- diately perceive the Truth of this AfTertion.
L 2 tion
f6 An Essay 07i Spirit.
tion of the Reader to fupply, and fill up the Deficiencies ; and that it was very cufto- mary for one Perfon to fpeak in the Name and Charadler of another Perfon, without making the leafl: Mention of the other Per- fon, in whofe Name the Words were fpo- ken. Thus It is allowed by the univerfal Confent of all Antiquity, as well 'Jews as Chrijiians, that in the fecond Pfalm, David is there fpeaking of the Mejfiahy and yet the whole Pfalm is delivered In the Perfon and Character of David himfelf. Why^ fays he, do the Heathen rage, and the Peo- ple imagine a vain Thing, 'The Kings of the Eart^ fet themfelves, and the Riders take Council together againfi Jehovah, and againjl his anointed. He that fitteth in Heaven P^all laugh ; Jehovah jhall have them in Deriflon. Then Jhall he fpeak unto thetn in his Wrath , and vex them in his fore Difpleafure. Tet have I fet my King upon my holy Hill of Sion. I will declare the Decree, Jehovah hath faid unto me, Thou art my Son, this Day have I begotten
thee*
An Essay on Spirit. 77
thee. AJk of me^ and I will give thee the Heathen Jor thine Inheritance^ and the ut- termofl Parts of the Earth for thy Pojfef- fion,
LXVni. Now it is plain, that the De^ cree here fpoken of, though it was deliver^ ed unto Davidy yet the Purport thereof was not promifed to Davidy but to fomc one of the Seed of David, 2 ^am. vii. 12, 14, 16, of whom God faid, / will he his Father, and he pall be my Son. And yet David faith, when fpeaking of this Decree : / will declare the Decree, Jeho- vah hath faid unto me, Thou art my Son, this Day have 1 begotten thee. And what is further remarkable, is, that it was not yehovah, but Nathan the Prophet, whq fpake to David by Authority from God.
LXIX. And indeed nothing is more comr mon than for Prophets and Angels to fpeak authoritatively in their own Name, without ijitroducing their Speech with an explanatory
Preface,
78 Alt Essay on Spirit.
Preface, mentioning the Perfon in. whofe Name they fpeak. Thus the Prophet Ifaiah faith, (8) T.he Word that Ifaiah the Son of Amos Jaw concerning Judah a?id Jerufalem — (9) For behold the Lord, the Jehovah OF Hosts doth take away from Jerufalem and from Judah the Stay and the Staffs ficc. — And then fome Verfes afterwards, he faith. And I will give Children to be their Princes, and Babes [hall rule ever them, &c. Where it is manifeft, that the Prophet ipeaks in this laft Place in the firfl: Perfon, in his own Name, without inferting the Words, and "Jehovah faid unto me, which feem neceflary to have been inferred, in or- der to make his Words intelligible, if he intended they fhould be underftood of Je- hovah, and not of himfelf ; but that he knew very well the Jews would, of them- felves, fupply the Deficiency.
(8) I/ai\\. 1.
(9) Jfai iii. i,—'4.
LXX. In
An Essay on Spirit. 79
LXX. Li like Manner, in the Revela- tion of St. yohn, though the Apoftle de- clares, that it was delivered to him by an Angel, and calls it (i) T^he Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to Jloew unto his Servants Takings which mud fiortly come to pafs ; and he fent and Jignijied it by his Angel unto his Servant John : Yet through the whole Book this Angel fpeaks indifferently In the firft Per- fon, either when he fpeaks in the Name of God the Father, or in the Name of "Jefm Chrifi, or in his own Name. Thus, Rev. i. 10. St. yohn [siys, I was in the Spirit on the Lord'j-Day, and heard behind me a great Voice, as of a 1'rumpet, faying, 1 am Alpha and Omega, the firft and the lali^ &c. Now this Voice was undoubtedly the Voice of the Angel, who was fent to teftify unto him ; and yet he fpeaks in the firft Perfon, faying, I am Alpha and Omega : And Verfe 13, when he turned to fee the
(0 Riv. \, 1, : Voice
So Aft Essay on Spirit*
Voice that fpake with him, he fays, (2) Aiid when I Jaw him, 1 fell at his Feet as dead : And he laid his "Right -hand upon me^ faying unto me. Fear not : I am the Firji and the Lafl ; / am he that liveth and was dead ; and behold I am alive for evermore. Where it is manifeft that this Angel fpeaks at once both in the Name of God the Fa- ther, and of God the Son ; becaufe he calls himfelf Alpha and Omega, and yet declares he was once dead. And yet, Chapter iii. 14, This fame Angel fpeaks only in the Name of Jefus Chrijii faying, T'hefe Things faith the Amen, the faithful and true Witnefs^ THE Beginning of the Creation OF God : Which is the Charader given by St. Faul of 'Jefus Chriftt who ftiles him (3 ) the Fir ^ -horn of the whole Creation,
LXXI. However, towards the Clofe of the whole Revelation, St. fohn fays, (4)
(2) Rev. i. 17.
(3) npJIoToxo; wacTfl? xlicrf*)?, i. tf> The Firft-bom of the whole Creation ; and not as we tranflgte it, the firjl-born of t^very Creature, Col. i. 15.
{4) ^ij. xxii. 8, ^i.
I Johif
Jl?i Essay on Spirit. 8i
/ John faw thefe T'hings and heard theniy tind when 1 had heard and feen^ I fell down to worfhip before the Feet of the jingel which fiewed )»€ thefe things. I'hen faith he unto mi^ fee thou do it not ; for 1 am thy Fellow-Servant, and of thy Brethren the Prophets, and of them which keep the Say-" ings of this Book : JVoffkip God. And he faith unto me, Seal not the Sayings of the Prophecy of this Book ; for the Time is at Hand. — And behold I come quickly ; and my Reward is with me, to ginje to every Man ac^ cording as his Works Jhall be. lam Alpha and Omega, ihi Beginning and the End ; the Firfl and the Lafi. — / Jefus have fent mi?i^ Angel to teflijy unto you thefe Takings in the Churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright and the Morning- Star*
LXXn. Where it is inanifeft, that this Angel who had reflifed Worfhip and Ado- ration, and had declared himfelf to be a created Being, the Fellow-Servant of J^huy and of his Brethren the Prophets ;
M yet
8i An Essay on Spirit.
yet becaufe he was fent by 'Jefm to teftify that Revelation, (5) which was given unto 'jedis by God, he therefore fpeaks indiffe- rently in the firft Perfon, 7, either when he fpeaks in his own Perfon, in the Perfon of yefus, or in the Perfon of God the Fa- ther. So that it ihould feem no extraordi- nary thing to find that exalted Angel whom God had proclaimed 'Jehovahy Ipeaking alio in the firft Perfon, and faying, / am that anjy or, I am the God of Abraham, or the God of Bethel, &c.
LXXIIL This however is manifeft from the Whole taken together, that the Jews had great Foundation in the Scriptures of the Old Teflament for their Opinion of a Aiuiipoi Ggo$, a Second or Secondary God, that is, one who acSted by a deputed Power from the Supreme God ; which Philo calls the Archangel with many Names : For it appears he was therein called, ^he great Frince which jiandeth for the Children of
(5) ^-v. i. I.- ,.. 1j/,^ .
Ifrael ;
An Essay on Spirit. 83
Ifracl ; The Word of God ; T.he Wijdom of God ; T'he Similitude, or Image, of God ; and Jehovahy or the Name of God.
LXXIV. Now then let us fee what Foundation there Is in the Scriptures of the Old Teftament for the Opinion of a third Perfon, whom the Jews 'ATroyeia^evaiv, paid divine Honours to. And here it may be obferved, that it hath been already iliew- ed, that two of the Angels, which appear- ed to Abraham in the Similitude of Men, were each called by the Name of yeho~ vab : (6) For as the one which remained converfing with Abraham, while the other two went towards Sodom, was called yeho- vah, fo alfo Is one of the two Angels which went to deftroy Sodom, called Jehovah alfo ; For, fays Mofes, Jehovah rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah Brim/io?2e and Fire from Jehovah oa/ 0/ Heaven*
(6) See Sea. LVI.
M 2 LXXV. It
84 '^^T^ Essay on Spirit.
LXXV. It is likewife to be obfervcd, that in the Prophecy of (7) Zecha?'iahy that Prophet, in declaring a Vifion which he had feen of a Candlejflick, with two OHve- Trees by it, fays, that an Angel talked with him, and Zechariah faid unto him. What be thefe two Olive-Threes upon the right Side of the Candlejlick and upon the left Side thereof 1 And 1 anfwered again and faid wi- to him J what be thefe two Olive- Branches, which through the golden Pipes, empty the golden Oil out of themfelves ? And he an* Jwered me and faid, T^hefe are the two
ANOINTED ONES, THAT STAND ^^'/^^
Lord of the whole Earth.
LXXVI. Now it is manifefl:, that that Angel, whofe Portion is Ifrael, is by the Prophet Ifaiah called the Angel of God's Prefence. For, fays that Prophet, (8) / ^vill mention the loving Kindnefs ^ Je-'
(:t) Zech. iv. I, ^c, (8) Ifai. IxiJi. 7^ 9.
HOVAHj
An Essay on Spirit. 8y
faovAH, and his great Goodnefs towards the Houfe of Ifrael. — In all their Af" jliBions he was aJiiBed, and the Angel. OF HIS Presence faved them. And as this Angel, or great Prince which Jlandeth for the Children of Ifrael, is by the Prophet "Daniel diftinguifhed by the Name of Mi- chael ; fo It may be further proper to take Notice, that there is another Angel named by a particular Name in the Scriptures of old Teflament, who is called (9) Gabriel \ which Gabriel, according to St. (i) Liikey called himfelf alfo the Angel that ftandeth in the Prefence of God. So that here are plainly two Angels, one of which, for Diftinclion-fake, is called Michael, and the other Gabriel, which are defcribed as {land- ing in the Prefence of God, or, as Zecha- riah cxprefTeth it, which Jlafid by the Lord of the whole Earth. As a Type of which, according to (2) Philo Judaus, it was,
fg) As MfW/ fignifies 'Cat Similitude of God; fo GahritI fignifies, the Stre?jgth, or Pon/jer of God. (1) Luk. i. ig. \i) Phil. Wit. Mofs, lib. iii. p. 669. Edit. Franc. i6gi.
that
2 6 ^n Essay on Spirit.
that at the Building of the Tabernacle, God diredled only two Cherubim to be placed over the Mercy^Seat in the Holy of Holies.
LXXVn. And as it appears, that the Archangel Michael is that Perfon who is cal- led the Second Efjence by the Jews^ fo upon Enquiry, we fhall find that the Angel Ga^ briel has a very good Title towards being confidered as that Third Ejjencey or Being, to which the yews paid divine Honours. For the Opinion of the Jewsy with Regard to this Third Being, was, (3) that <* after *^ the Second Eflfence comes the Holy Spirit ** which they place in this royal Dignity, ** and Degree of Principality, becaufe it is ^* the Will of the great Architedt to ap- ^* point him to the Principality of thofe in- ** ferior Beings, who may want his Ailif- " tance. Who therefore, obtaining the ** third Place, confers on thofe, who are <* inferior to him, thofe excellent Virtues " which he himfelf received from ano-
(3) Bufeh. Prjep. Evang. lib. vii. cap. 15.
«< ther.
An Essay on Spirit. 87
*' ther, to wit, from the divine hogos^ his ** Better and Superior, whom we before *' fald was the Second to the fupreme, ** unbegotten and almighty God." So fays Eufebius, ** All the Hebrew Divines, after ** that God, who is over all, and after his ** firft-born Wifdom, pay divine Worfhip *' to the third and holy Power, which they ** call the holy Spirit, by which they them- *^ felves are illuminated when they are di- ** vinely infpired.'*
LXXVin. Now It IS manifeft, that the Angel Gabriel was employed in the Adml- niflration of this Office, that is, in the il- luminating of thofe who were divinely in- Ipired ; which the Prophet Xechariah me- taphorically exprefleth, by emptying through golden Pipes y the golden Oyl out of themfehes. Since it was undoubtedly for this Purpofe that Gabriel was fent to the Prophet (4) Da^ niel, to make him under (land the Vijion : And to give him Skill and Underjianding* And
(4) Dan, viii. i6. ix. 21,22.
therefore,
88 An Essay on SpiRit.
therefore, it is probable, that this Angel Gabriel was that holy Spirit who was em- ployed by God in illuminating the reft of the Prophets of Old, and who is fo often men- tioned in the Scriptures of the Old Tefta-^ ment, under the Name of the holy Spirit^ the Spirit of God, or the Spirit oj Jehovah. For thus the Prophet (5) Nehemiah pofi- lively faith, that Jehovah teftified againft the Wicked by his Spirit in his Pro- phets, And the Prophet (6) Zechariah faith, 7hey made their Hearts as an Ada- fnant Stone, left they fiould hear the Law, and the Words which the ]^noY kk of Hosts hath sent by his Spirit in the former Prophets,
LXXIX. Which Words plainly pr6vc this Spirit to have been an Intelligent Agent, feparate and diftincl from God, becaufe he wzsfent by him. For though Men may be faid to be infpired, or actuated, by the Spirit of God, when God is pleafed to in-
(5) Nehem. \x. 63.
(6) Zecb, vii. 12.
fpJf^
An Essay o?t Spirit. 89
fpire or influence them by Virtue of his own ahiiighty Power, without deputing any other Spirit to do it : Yet it is ma- nifeft that God cannot fend himfelf ; be- caufe thofe Terms imply a Contradidlion. And therefore the Prophet Ijaiah is faid to have been Jait both by God and his Spirit. For, fays he, (7) and now 'Jehovah God, and his Spirit hath fent me. And in the Books of (8) Judges and Samuel y it is not faid, that it was Jehovah, but the Spi- rit oj Jehovah, which came upon Othoniel, and Gideon, and Jeptha, and Sampfon, anX Saul, and David, to ailif]: them in the Go- vernment of Ifrael, and the Execution of their Office. And the holy (9) David, in the penitential Pfalm which he compo- fed, on his Tranfgreflion with BathJJ:eba, beggs of Almighty God, not to take his HOLY Spirit jrom him \ but, fays he.
(7) If at. xlviii. 16,
(8) See Judg, iii. lo. vi. 34. xi. 29. xiii. 25. l Zam. x. 6. xvi. 13.
(9) PJal. li. II, 12, 13.
N redore
po An Essay on Spirit.
rejlore me unto the Joy of thy Salvation^ and uphold me with thy FREE Spirit.
LXXX. And therefore this holy Spirit Is fometimes fald to enter, into Men when it Infpired them. For thus the Prophet Eze- ^;>/ declares, that the Spirit (i) entered in- to him when it [pake unto him. And the Prophet Ijdiahy fpeaking of Mofes^ faith, that (2) God put his holy Spirit within him. Which hkewlfe fliews this Spirit to have beeJi a feparate intcIHgent Agent, diftindt from God himfelf, becaufe it Is faid, that it was God who put this holy Spirit within him.
LXXXI. And as it pleafed God that this holy Spirit jQiould fometimes manifeft its Abode in particular People by fome out- ward and vifible Token for the Sake of the By-Standers, that they might be obedient unto thofe Perfons upon whom it abode ;
(i) Ezek. ii. 2. iii. 24: {2) J/ai. vi. 3.
therefore
Ajt Essay on Spirit. 91
therefore it Is, in the Language of the holy Scriptures, fometimes faid to re{i upon thofe on whom it was conferred. Thus, when God ordered Mojes to appoint feventy El- ders, who fhould aflifl him in the Dillribu- tion of Juflice, it is faid, that (3) "Jehovah came down in a Cloud, a7id /pake unto him^ and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and gave it to the feventy Riders ; and it cavie to pafsf that when the Spirit res- ted upon them, they prophefied and did not ceafe,
LXXXII. Now it is obferved of Mofes^ that when he came the laft Time down from Mount Sinai^ (4) the Skin of his Face Jhone, fo that the People were afraid to come nigh him. It is therefore probable that this Manifeilation of the Spirit which was conferred on Mofes, and from him di- vided among the feventy Elders, was a kind of lucid Ihining Appearance which refted upon thejn as an outward and vifible
(3) Numb. xi. 16, 25.
(4) Exod. xxxiv. 29,
N 2 Token
pi An Essay on Spirit.
Token of the inward AfTill-ance and Illumi^ nation t)f the llol'j Spirit, And therefore God alfo commanded hJcjh, \^4ien he ap- pointedy(?/2j//j for his bucceiTor, to (5) take Jofhua the Son of Nun, and fays he, tfooufiall lay fome of thine Honour upon him, that all the Congregation of the Children of Ifrael may be obedient : In like Manner, when Elifia was appointed SucccfTor to Elijah, It is faid, the Spirit of EHjah, or the Spirit which was on Elijah doth rest ON Eliflia. And they came to meet him, and bowed themfelves before him.
LX>rXIII. But when this Holy Spirit was pleafed to make its Appearance, either in the Figure and Form of an Angel or Man, tlie Jews then 'ATroyeicc^evc-tv, paid divine Honours to it : As Daniel did to the Angel (6) Gabriel, when it appeared unto him in the Form of a Man ; for {aith he, (7) I was afraid and Jell upon my Face : As Ezekiel
{5} Niim xxvii. 20.
(6) Dan. viii. i6. ix. 21.
(7) Dan. viii. 17.
?lfo,
All Essay on Spirit. 93
alfo did to the (8) holy Spirit y when it ap- peared unto him in (9) the Likenefs oj the Glory of Jehovah ; for fays he, When ( i ) / Jaw it 1 fell upon my Face. Whieh was the ufual Method of Proltration both with (2) him, and all the ancient (3) Prophets and Patriarchs, whenever they had any earnefl: Requeft to make to almighty God ; or when they apprehended that an Angel fent from God was fpeaking to them.
LXXXIV. And indeed it feems but rea- (bnable, that befide the Refpedl which is due to this holy Spirit on Account of the Excellency of its own Nature, there fhould be a further Degree of Reverence and Re^ gard paid unto him, in Proportion to the Degree of Power or Authority over us, which is committed unto him from God : Since it is but jufl, that whatever Degree of
(8) Ezek. ii . 2. iii. 24.
(9) Ezek. i. 28.
(i) Exek. i. 28. iii. 3. xliii. 3,4. xliv. 4.
(2) Ezek. ix 8. xi. 13.
(3) Gen. xvii. 3. Num. xvi. 22. xxii. 31. Jo/h. v. 14. See alfo Mat. xxvi. 39. Mar. xiv. 35. Though he firft kneeled down, Luke xxii. 41.
Superiority
p4- -^-^^ Essay on Spirit.
Superiority the Almighty is pleafed to give to any one Being over others, there fhouid be a fuitable Degree of Submiffion and Obe- dience paid to that Being, in Proportion to the Extent of Authority delegated from God.
LXXXV. Not that Angels as Angels have any Right to Worfhip or Adoration upon their own Account ; and therefore all (4) 'voluntary Hmjiilify and JVorJhip paid, even to the higheft Angel, out of our ov^-n Head, or without a Commiflion from God for fo doing, would be Idolatry : Which was the Reafon why that Angel who was fent from God to fhew the Revelation to St. yobiy reprimanded the Apoftle, when he (5) fell down to Worship before the peet of the Angel which fhewed him thefe
things^ faying, fee thou do it not, Wor-
Jhip God. Becaufe St. John feems to have paid this WorP:ip to the Angel on his own Account, without any Regard to the Au-
14) CoL ii. 18. (5) Rtv. xxii. 8.
thority
An Essay on Spirit. 95
thorlty by which he was fent ; which would have been Idolatry. But when Angels are commiflioned from God, with any Degree of Power over us, and are fent in his Name ; then it cannot be Idolatry, to pay them fuch a Degree of Adora- tion, as is prdportionate to the Autho- tity with which they are inverted : Becaufe fuch Adoration or Worfhip, not being paid them on their own Account, but on ac- count of the Authority which hath been de- legated unto them, terminates in the one on- ly and fupreme God. See Sedl. 1 13, 1 14-
LXXXVI. Which Method of Reafoning may be purfued from the highefl: Degree of Worfhip, payable to the moft perfc(5i: Be- ing next to God, a6ling with the higheft Authority, which God is plcafed to commu- nicate or delegate, down to the lowed: De- gree of deference or Refpedl, which Reafon infl:ru<fts us, is proper to pay to fome of our own Fellow-Creatures, for the Prefervatioii of a due Subordination in Society : Since in
» this
9<5 An Essay on Spirit.
this Senfe, it is, that (6) not only the Powers which be ordained of God ; but alfo that thofe Prophets and Judges of Ifrael (7) to whom the Word of God came^ are called Gods ; becaufe they fpoke by his Authority and a6tcd in his ftcad.
LXXXVII. Which Doftrlne of the "Jews with Regard to God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy Spirit, feems there- fore not only to be fupported by the Doc- trine of the Old Teftament, but alfo recon- cilable to Rcafon ; fince if we do but re- fledl on the immenfe Diftance there is be- tween the imperfedl State of human Beings, and the infinite Perfedlion of Almighty God, we cannot but think that God fhould chufe to govern this Univerfe by a gradu- al Subordination of Beings, one fuperior to another ; rather than to be the fole Direc- tor or Governor of every the moil: minute Affair : Not that fuch a Government would
(6) "Rom. xiii. I.
(7) See Exod. xxii, 18. Pf. Ixxxli. i, 2, 6. Jchn x.
n> 35-
A?! Essay on Spirit. 97
te troublefome to God, or that he would be unable to perform it, or that God can poflibly divefl: himfelf of the fupreme Au- thority, univerfal Infpectlon, and general Superintendehcy even of the minutell Tranf- acStion in the whole Creation : But becaufe it feems more confident with the divine Goodnefs and Wifdom, to employ the vari- ous Works of his Hands, in the Exercife of thofe Powers and Faculties with which he hath endowed them ; rather than perfon- ally and immediately to interpofe in the Condu(5t of thofe Tranfadtions, for which he hath created Numbers of Beings furnifh- ed with Abilities fufficicnt Co perform.-
LXXXVin. It is likewife reafonable to believe that the fame Method of Govern- ment, which God hath ordained in this fublunary Globe, is carried on by a Kind of Analogy through the whole Creation. And that as the great Creator hath been pleafed to conftitute this World in fuch a Manner, as to require the Authority of fome Perfons prcfiding over others, in Families, in Towns, O in
J? 8 jJn Essay on Spirit.
m. Cities, in Provinces, in Kingdoms, In Empires ; fo probably in the great Expanfc of Spirits, there are Degrees of Superiori- ty analogous to thefe fublunaryDifpofitions ; which we have no better Method of ex- prefling, than by calling them in Allufion to the Things which we do know, (8) T'hroties, ^ DotnimonSy FrincipalitieSi Powers.
LXXXIX. And as this Dodlrine is re- concilable with the Scriptures of the Old _'Teftament, the Sentiments of the Jewi/h Divines, and with Reafon ; fo is it alfb w^ith the Scriptures of the New Teftament. For fays St. Paul ; (9) Though there be that are called Gods, whether in Heaven or Earth, (for there be Gods many and Lords many) yet to us there is but one God, the Father, vf whom are all Things, and we in him j and one Lord Jefus Chrifty by whom are all Things, and we by him. That is, there is biK one fupreme God, in Comparifon of whom
(8) Col. i. i6.
(^j Cor. viii. 5, 6. .
there
An Essay mi Spirit. 99
there IS (i) none other but he \ and with Regard to whom Jefus the Chrlft is only to be called hord and not God : The Fa- ther having given him a Name that is above every other Name, that every Tongue fiould confefs that Jefus Chri/l /i Lord to the Glory of God the Father. Phil. ii. 9, 11.
XC. Which God the Father, as he is de- fcribed by Mofes under the Character of that God, (i) whofe Face cannot be feen ; J or no Man can fee him and live ; {q alfo St. Faul charadlerifes him as that God, who is (3) the blefj'ed and only Potentatey the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who ONLY hath Immortality y dwellifig in the Light which no Man can approach unto, whom no Man hath or can see. And St. John fays, (4) No Man hath feen God any I'ime. Which one, 07ilx, invijible God cannot therefore poflibly be the farac
(i) Mar. xii. 32.
{2) Exod, xxxiii. 20, 23.
{3) 1 Tim. vi. 15, 16.
(4) Jakn'x. 18. vi. 46, ijohn'vf, 12.
O 2 with
loo An Essay 07i Spirit.
V'ith that G(?^ who (5) ijoas 7namfelled in the Flejh,
XCI. Whence it appears, that here is a Diftlndlion made by the Apoftles between the Divinity of God the Father and of God the Son : And that although the Term of God^ as when we fay, there are Gods ma- ny, may be attributed to the Son, yet that, ftridlly fpeaking, as when we fay there is but one God, this Appellation is only to be attributed to Qod the Father ; and accord- ingly the Nicene Creed, as all the ancient Creeds did, begins with faying, I believe in one God the Father Almighty^ &c. And the Rea- fon alTigned for this Difl:in6i:ion by St. Paul is, becaufe God the Father is alone to be confidered as the (6) jirfi Cauf^ ; for, fays he, there is one God the Father, of whom ARE ALL things: and therefore God the Father is by the Son himfelf ftiled (7) the mly true God. For, fays he, when fpeaking
(;;) I Tim. iii. i6. (6) See Sec% 3. (8) Jekn xvii. 3.
of
An Essay on Spirit. ioi
of the Father, thh is eternal Life, that they may know thee the only true God, ' and Jejus Chrifi whom thou haji fent,
\ XCn. As therefore the firfl: Self-exiftent
Caufe of whom are all Things, can alone be properly called God, when the Title of God is given in the Scripture?: to any other Being but the Father, we are to underftand this, only as expreflive of fome God-like Power, which hath been given or communicated to that Being by God the Father. And accordingly Jehcvah faid un- to MofeSy w^hen he fent him to Pharaoh and communicated to him the Power of w^orking Miracles, (8) Thou [halt he to him ififiead tf God : Which he thus exprefleth in ano- ther Place, (9) fee 1 have made thee a God to Pharaoh. When all Power therefore in Heaven and Earth was given to the Son, he was made a God to thofe Beings over whom that Power was given, that is, over
(8) Exod. iv. 16, {9) Exod, xvii. \.
thofe
loz An Essay on Spirit.
thofe Beings which inhabit this Heaven and this Earth, and over thofe only, fince it is manifeft at the fame Time, that he mufi: be excepted who did give this Power unto him ; and therefore St. Taul pofitively de* dares when fpeaking of the Son, that (i) when it is [aid all Thitjgs are put under hinzy it is manifeft that he is excepted, which did put all 'Things under him, and when all things jhall be fubdued unto him, then, fays he, Jhall the Son alfb, that is, even in his higheft State of exalted Glory, be fub* jeB unto him that did put all Things under him, that God may be all in all,
XCIII. And as that fecondary Effence among the Jews whofe Portion was IJrael^ was by them called the Word and the Wif- dom of God : So it is undoubted that thefe Appellations were from thence transferred, by the Apoftles of Chrilt who were born and bred Jews, into the Chriftian Religi- on, and applied by them to Jefus the Chrifi",
(0 I Cor. XV. 27, 2S.
who
An Essay on Spirit. 103
^\iO Is in the Scriptures of the New Tefta- ment called (i) the Word and the Wifdomcf God.
XCIV. And as that fecondary EfTence Was by the yews called the Image of God, fo is the Lord Jefus Chrlft called in the Language of the New Teftament, (3) the Image of the invifible God : That is the vlfible Image, or delegated Reprefentatlve in Power of the Invifible God. For that this is the fcriptural Meaning of the Word Image, when applied to the Lnage of an invifible Being, feems plain from many Paf- fages, but in particular from that wherein it is faid, that Man was created (4) in the Image of God : Becaufe as foon as God is reprefented by Mofes as having faid, let us make Man in our Image after our Like^ nefs ; Then immediately follows, and let him have Dominion over the Fi/h of the Sea^
(2) John 5. I, 14, 1 Qr. u 24,
(3) Co/, i. 15,
(4) Gtn, i, 26, 27.
4m4
I04 An Eassy on Spirit.
and over the Fowls of the Air^ &c. And therefore the Arabic Verfion of the Bible renders this lafl: Sentence to this purpofe, that by the Image which God enobled, he created him to hdve Dominion. And the wife Son of Sirach obferves, that (5) the Lord created Men, and endued them with Strength^ by themfehes^ and made them ac- cording to his Image ; and put the Fear oj Man upon all FieJJjj and gave him Domini- on over Beajls and Fowls, And that this Word, '£i36wj/ Image, when applied to Perfons, was generally underftood to denote the one as being the Deputy or Reprefenta- tative of the other, in Power and Domi- minion, is plain from an Expreflion in Bafil upon this very Subject. Where he inanifeftly ufcth this Word to fignify a Vice-" roy : When in anfwer to this Obje6lion, But how tfjen, ij there are two dijiin6l Per- fons (in the Godhead) do we not 7nake two Gods 9 To which he anfwers, (6) W^y
(5) Ecc/uf. xvii. 1, 3, 4-
(6) "Oxi )3a<r»Xfu; ^EysI«^ ««» i t3 j2uo-i?,tui Ukui, Ken ov Jiy* y ${CTiMTi. Bafil. d$ fpir. fenc. C. 1 8.
juft
An Essay 07t Spirit. 105
jiiil as a King J and the Deputy of a King, do not make two Kings,
XCVi And as the Jews fuppofed their Logos to be the fame Pcrfon with that (7) Angel oj God's Prefencey who is reprefent- ed in the Old Teftament, as being the Guardian Angel of the Children of I/rael, fo alfo do the Scriptures of the New Tefla- mcnt fuppofe their Logos, or the Lord Jefus Chrift, to be that very Angel, who brought Redemption to Jfrael ; and therefore St. Panlj fpeaking ot the Deliverance of the Ijraelites from their Egyptian Bondage, faith ; (8) Moreover Brethren I would not have you ignorant^ how that all our Fathers were under the Cloud, and all paffed through the Sea ; and were all baptized unto JNIofes in the Cloud, and in the Sea ; and did all eat the fame fpiritual Meat ; and did all drink the fame fpiritual Dr'ink : For they drank of that fame fpiritual Rock that foU lowed them, amd that Rock was
(7) Ex(.d. xxiii. 20, 21. xxxiii. 2. AW. xx. 16.
(8) 1 Cor. X, 1—9.
P Christ
10(5 An Essay on Spirit.
Christ. He alfo faith, that by thdr Mifconducl hi the Wildernefs, they temp- ted Chriji, and were therefore deftroyed of Serpents. And in his Epidle to the (9) Hebrews, he attributes the Perfeverance of Mofes in quitting Fharaoh\ Court, and rc- Eifing to be called the Son of PharaoFs Daughter, to his Dread of the Reproach of Chriji.
XCVL And as the fews held their Lo* gos to ha\'C been in the Beginning with God ; and to be ^iu\z^ov ^iov, a fecond God : So alfo do the Scriptures of the New Tef- tament, acknowgledge their Logos^ or the Lord Jefus, to be called ( i ) Emanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. He is therefore frequently, in the Language of the NevvTeftaincnt, fpoken of as fuch. Thus fohn the Evangelift pofitively fays, that (2) the PFord was God. And St. Paul
(9) Heh. XI. 26.
(1) Mat. i. 23.
(2) Jcbn i. I.
calls
An Essay 07t Spirit. 107
calls him, (3) God manifefted in the Flejh, And Sr. T-homas, when fpcaking to him, fully and pofitivcly callcth him, (4) my Lord and my God,
XCVII. But then thcfe Scriptures are in other Places very expreflive, with Regard to the Superiority of God the Father, over God the Son : Thus St. Peter, in that Speech which he makes to the yews, A5ii ii, 33, where he is applying a Paflage, out of the 1 1 cth Pfalm, to our Saviour, (ays, " For David is not afcended into *' the Heavens : But he faith himfelfi, ** The Lord faid unto my Lord, fit thou ** on my Right Hand, until I make thine ** Enemies thy Footftool." 'T'herefore, fays St. Peter, let all the Houjk of Ifrael know a/- furedly, that God hath (5) made that fame yefus whom ye crucified, both Lord and Chrifi, ' Which ihews, that the Son could not have been from all Eternity co-e<^ual to
(3) 1 Tim. iii. i6.
(4) Jchnx>i. 28.
P 2 the
io8 An Essay on Spirit.
the Father, fince the Father could not have made him either Lord or Chrift, if he had no Superiority over him. And according- ly, St. Faiil appHes that Text of Scripture to Jefus Chrifl, which David maketh ufc of in the Pfahns, when he faith, (6) Thy Throfie^ O God, is forever and ever; a Sceptre of Righteoufhefs is the Sceptre of thy Kingdom : I'hoti ha/i loved Right eouf7tefs and hated Iniquity ; therefore God, even THY God, hath anointed thee 'with the Oil of Gladnefs above thy Fellows, In which PalTage, though Chrifl: is undoubtedly called God, yet the Superiority of God the Father over this God, is manifcftly preferved ; be- caufe he is called even his God. And the Lord Jefus Chrifl, when he was departing out of this Life, not only (7) offered up Prayers and Supplications unto the Father, as unto him that was able to fave him from Death j but alfo (8) cried with a
(6) Heh i. 8.
(7) Heb. V. 7.
(8) ETreirci.
loud
A71 Essay on Spirit. 109
hud Voice, faying, my God, my God, iiohy hall thoujorfaken me ?
XCVIII. I am not ignorant, that in or- der to invalidate this Argument, it is faid, that this lail: Expreflion was fpoken only in Regard to his human Nature, with Refpe^ to which, he was undoubtedly inferior to God the Father ; But in anfwer to this, it is to be obferved, that in the firft Paifage here alluded to in the 1 1 oth Pfalm, our Sa- viour is there called hord, and yet yeho- vah IS faid by St. Peter, to have made him both Lord, and Chrifi. And in the fecond Paflage here quoted, the Pfalmiji fpeaks of of him as God, yet at the fame Time de- clares God the Father to be his God. And the fame Method of fpeaking, is con- continued in the Scriptures, not only while he was here in this World, fubjedl to Mor- tality ; but after he had overcome Death, and the Grave, even after his Refurredti- on ; at which Time, he alfo acknowledges God the Father to be his God : For when Ma?')' would have approached imto him,
he
I lo j^7t Essay o?t Sfirit.
he faid, (9) l.ouch me noty or, do not ftay to touch or mind me at prefent, for I am 7Kt yet afcended unto my Father ; but go to my Brethren, and fay unto them, 1 ajcend unto my Father y and your Father , unto MY God, and your God. And the Apoftle Faul in fpeaking of our Lord Jefus Chrift, even after his Afcenfion, after his Exaltation, after he had been feated (i) at the Right Ha?id of God, far above all Principality, and Power, and Might, and Dominion^ (peaks of God the Father, as ftill being his God. For fays he, (2) Blef- fed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrijl, And again, he faith to the Ephe'^ Jians, Wherefore, I ccafe not to give Thanks for you, that the God of our Lord fejus Chriji, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the Spirit of Wifdom. And in the Revelation of St. John, the Apofllc Ipeaking of Jefus, faith, (3) who hath tnade
(9) John XX. 17.
(1) Eph. i. 20, 21.
(2) Eph. i. 3.
(3) T« 6e« xai vaJft aJl5. Rev. i, 6.
ZiS
An Essay on Spirit. iit
m Kinp and Priefi^s to his God and Father.
XCIX. And indeed the whole Conduct and Behaviour and Dodlrine of our Lord Jefus Chrift, while he was in this World, was correfpondent thereto ; for he not only fyeaks of the Superiority of God the Fa- ther in general Words, as when he fays, in e'xprefs Terms, (4) the Fafhet^ is greater than I ; And again, the Father is greater than all : But acknowledges that his whole Condu6t, not only while he was in this W^orld, but before he came into it, before he had taken human Nature upon himfelf, was in Submiflion to the Will and Com- mands of God. For he acknowledges in numberlefs Places, that it w^as the Father who Jent him, and gave him a Command- merit what to do. (5) jR?r, fays he, Imufi work the Work of hi?n that sent me-, and again, he fays, The Father which seist me ^
(4) Jo^" xiv- 28. X. 29.
{?) John ix. 4. xii. 49. xiv, 31, ^c. i^e.
be
Hi An Essay Q7t Spirit.
he GAVE ME A Commandment, isohat I fiouldfay, and what I Jhould JpeaL And again, j4s the Father gave me Com- mandment fo do L We may therefore fairly argue, as our Saviour himfelf does upon another Occafion, that (6) as the Servant is not equal to his Lord, neither is be that is Jent equal to him that fent him. He therefore alfo acknowledged, that all the Power he was poiTciled of, not only na- tural but fupernatural, was received from the Father, and was (7) given unto him. And this not only while he was upon Earth, while he was clogged and fettered with the Shackles of Mortality : But even after his Refurredlion, and Afcenfion, and Exaltati- on, he declares, that all the Power which he had in Heaven and Earth, was (8) gi- ven unto him of the Father. And fome Years after that, St. Paul in his Epiftle to the (9) CorinthianSy faith, But I would
(6) John xiii. 1 6. {7) John V. 26. xvii. 2, 7, 8, 9, II, ^f. ^V.
(8) Matth. xxviii. 18.
(9) I Corinth, xi. 3.
bavf
-^;?^ Essay ^;^ Spirit. 113
have you know, that the Head of every Man is Clyriji ; a7id the Head of the Woman is the Man ; and theHeadof Christ IS God.
C. And as Mofes was commanded by God to obey the Voice of the Angel, which he fent to keep him in the Way ; and to provoke him not, becaufe his Name was in him ; fo the Lord Jefus Chrift declares, that the Honour which is due unto him is on the Father's Account ; that is, becaufe he was fent from the Father : For, fays he, (2) T^he Father hath committed all 'Judgment to the Son, that all Men fjould Honour the Son, even as they Honour the Father : And then he adds the Reafon, For, he who honoureth not the Son^ honour- eth not the Father which fent him.
CI. It is likewife very remarkable, that in this Place, as well as in Exodus xxiii. 21, where God ordereth Mofes and the
(2) fohn V. 22, 23.
Q^ Ifraclites
114 An Ess AV on S?iK\r»
J/raelites to obey the Angel, which was fent in his Name, the Incitement offered for honouring the one, as well as obeying the other, is the Power of 'Judgment^ that was committed unto them. For, fays God to Mofcs, beware of him, obey his Voice, pro- 'uoke htm not, for he will not pardon your Iranfgreljions. And in the New Tefta- mcnt, our Saviour obferves, that all Judg- ment WAS COMMITTED TO THE SoN ;
ishat all Men fhould Honour the Son^ even as they Honour the Father,
CII. It is a Remark made by Sir Ifaac Newton, that the Worfhip which is due from Man to God, is on Account of the Dominion he hath over him. For, fays he, ** (3) God is a relative Term, which ** has Reference to Subjects, and the Word ** Deity, denotes the Dominion of God, *' not over his own Body (as the ancient *' Philofophers imagined, who called God <' the Soul of the World,) but over Sub-
(3) Neivt. Prin. SchoK Gener.
** jeas."
An Essay on Spirit. i i 5
*• jedls.'* And again, he faith, " Wc ar- ** rive at the Knowledge of God, by con- ** fidering his Properties and Attributes ; ** by enquiring into the wife Formation and *' Conftitution of all T'hin;2:s ; and fearch- ** ing into their final Caufes ; but w^e VVor- ** fhip and Adore him on Account of his *' Dominion." So that the Son becomcth our God, not {o much on Account of his having been employed in our Creation, and that by him God created the JVorlds^ as be- caufe all yudgment is committed unto him^ this being the great Obligation of all Duty : There being no Reafon for Men to lay themfelves under any Reflraint, in obeying or difobeying the Commands of any Being, which hath no Power over them.
Cni. Now the Reafon why Almighty God was pleafed to commit this Power of Judgment unto the Son, is alfo afligned ; for, fays our Lord Jefus, (4) I'he Father hath given to the Son Authority to execute
(4) Jshn V. 26, 27.
0^2 Judgment)
ii6 Aft Essay on Spirit.
Judgment J becaufc be is the Son of Man : lliat is, as a Reward for having taken hu- man Nature upon him. For, upon the Fall of Adattiy this Son of God, being willing to undertake the Redemption of Mankind J (5) he was accordingly (6) anoin rEi) of Cody for to do what/oever his Hand^ and his Council predetermined to be done. That is, he was (7) anointed to do and to fufFer, whatfocver k Ihould pleafe God for him to do or to fuffer. And for an Encourage- ment in which Undertaking, God \^ as plea- fed to propofe to this his anointed Son, that on the IVrlormance ot fiich Things as God iliould appoint for him to do, he fhould be exalted to (8) foy and Glory.
(0 ^<'^i iv. 27, 28.
(6) lionet' called the Mfjf$*bt which literally fignifics the i.r.i'iteJ.
{-}) Or nppoiiitfd This Term of /7»o/«//»jf bcinc; made lift' of. inlU'.nl of /»/'/>//;/.•■«!;, in Coinpli;iiicc with tlir hii- nmu Ciitlom of niioiu/vtg IVrfons, whon they were appoirt- tfJ to the Adtuiiiillnitioii of particular OHict-s, Inch as ci- ther King, Priijl, or Prophet. Sec i S.ini xiii. I. 2 Sam. ii. 7. F.xo^ xxix. 7. J/oi. Ixi. I.
(ii) Ihh. xii. 2. 1 P(t. i. u.
CIV. When
Jin Ej?sAY on Spirit. i 17
CIV. When thcrcfbrc, in ihc Fulnrfs oF Tinu', It plcalcd Oo\\ to fend forth his Son, wiio being (9) in the Vorm of God never- thclcfs divclK\i himlcK of tluir (ilory vvliich iic had with the Father before the World was, and ( i ) camt' iloivn from Heaven^ not to do his own l^yUl^ hut the fVi// of him that fent him ; (2) Hhc Spirit liaving /£•///- fied beforehand the Suffer inifs 0/" C 'hrifl, and the Glory that fhould follow ; i Ic tliereforo (•^) for the yoy that itnis Jet before him^ en^ dured the Cro/'sy deffifmg the Shame : (/|) ly here fore God alfo hath hi[yhly iix alti: i) hi my and (5) fit him at his own Ri^ht^ hand k x a 1. r v. n , (6) and hath ^iven him a J^ame that /v a hove every Name, that (7) I N T M K Nam j-; ov J li s u s every Knee f.'ouldbowy of Things in Ifeaven, and Jhings
(9) PliJ. ii. 6.
(0 John'iv. \;\. V. 30. Vi. 38, -)/.
(/) I /'./. i. I I.
{\) Hih. xii. I.
(4) Phil. ii. <;
(0 /IlI ii 35 Ef^h.'x. 20, i^c.
(6) Pl/il. ii. y, lo, II.
in
ii8 An^ssAY o;^ Spirit.
in Earth, and things wider the Earth : And that every T'ongue fiould confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord to the Glory of God the Father,
CV. Wherefore Jefus having (8) finijh- ed the Work which his Father gave him to do, and manifefted his 'Name unto Men, that they might know God the Father the only true God, and Jefus Chrift whom he hath fent ; and having perfifred therein unto Death, (9) that he fnight reconcile both Jews and Gentiles unto God in one Body by the Crofs : And having been (i) for the Suffering of Death crowned with Glory and Honour ; inftead of the Portion of Ifrael, which had been before the Line or Boun- dary of his Inheritance ; he had now (2) Power given him over all Flefh. And (3) all Nations were made of one Blood under him, and the Bounds of their Habitations
(8) John xvii. 4, vi. 3.
(9) Eph. ii. i6» (i) lieb. ii. 9,
(2) John xvii. 2.
(3) Aiis xvii. 26.
were
/In Essay on Spirit. 119
were brought within the Line of his Inhe- ritance : And (4) there was given unto him Dominion and Glory ^ and a Kingdom, that all People, Nations and Languages Jhould ferve him.
CVI. From this Time forth, therefore, his Difciples were fent unto (5) all Nations, to (6) preach the Gofpel unto every Creature, And what is remarkable is, that from this Time the fame holy Spirit which under the Mofaical Difpenfation (7) fpake by the Prophets, and had only illuminated the Minds of thofe of the Sons of Ifrael, to whom the Word of God came, was through the Interceflion of Jefus Chrifl, conferred upon all Mankind that believe on him, of what Nation foever they be, whether Jews or Gentiles ; and Jhed forth his benign In- fluence on all thofe who come to God through Jefus Chrifl : That (8) through
{4) Dan. vii. 14.
(5) Matt, xxviii. 10.'
(6) Mar. xvi, 15.
(7) 2 Pet. i. 21, and Nicene Creed.
(8) Eph.u. 18.
him
110 An Eassy on Spirit.
him both Jews and Gentiles may have an Accefs by one Spirit unto the Father, That {g) the BleJIing of Abraham , wherein it was promifed that in his Seed fhould all the Nations of the Earth be blefTed, might come on the Gentiles through Jefus Chrifl", that they might receive the Promife of the Spirit through Faith : And that ( i ) all might be baptized into one Body^ whether they be Jews or Gentiles, whether they be bond or- free, and might all be made to drink into one Spirit.
CVII. When therefore fefm Chrift the Lord was raifed from the Dead, and for- mally inverted in the PolTeilion of that Kingdom which (2) the Father had appoiji- ted imto him ; having received from the Fa- ther the Promife of the holy Spirit, he fhed forth, this holy Spirit (3) abundantly, as well upon the (4) Gentiles as the 'Jews,
(g) Gal. iii. 14.
(1) I Cor. xii. 13.
(2) Luk. xxii. 29.
(3) T:it. iii. 6.
(4) Aa. xi. 15.
putting
An Essay on Spirit. 121
putting no Difference between them. Which holy Spirit is fometlmes, in the Language of the Scriptures of the New Teftament, called the Spirit of God the Father, becaufc he (5) proceedeth from the Father who fent him unto us ; and fometimes the Spirit of the Son, or the Spirit of Chrift, becaufc it was by the InterceiTion of fefus the Chriji that the Supply of this holy Spirit was fent unto us ; and is alfo called (6) the Spirit of Truth, becaufe it was fent tQ guide Mafikind into all T'ruth,
CVIII. Now St. John plainly calieth that holy Spirit, by whidi he was infpired with the Book of Revelations, an AngeU For his Words are thefe, (7) The Revela-^ tion of Jefus Chrift-, 'which God gave unto him, to Jl:ew unto his Servants Things which mujl fhortly come to pafs ; and he fent and Jignified it by his Angel unto his Servant John. And yet through this whole
(5) John XV. a6.
(6) John xvi. 13. xiv. 26. I John ij. ^o, z-j.
(7) Jtev.l I.
R Book,
122 An Essay on Spirit.
Book, he calls this Revelation, the Dic- tates of the Spirit. (8) He that hath Ears to hear^ fays he, let htm hear what the Spirit faith unto the Churches. And it is very remarkable, that although the Virgin Mary is pofitively faid to have been (9) found with Child of the holy Spirit^ and to have conceived of the holy Spirit ; yet the Perfon fent to her from God upon this Oc- cafion, calls himfelf an Angel, and in par- ticular, ( I ) the Angel Gabriel that Jlandeth in the Prejence of God ; who under the old Covenant had been fent to infpire (2) Da- 72iel v^ath Skill and Underftanding.
CIX. Which (3) Angel Gabriel be- ing fent from God unto the Virgin Mary, ^he AsGEL, fays St. Luke, came in unto her^ and faid. Hail, thou art highly fa- voured, the Lord is with thee : Bleffed art
(8) Rev. ii. 7, 1 1 , 1 7, 1 9. iii. 6, 1 3, 22.
(9) Mat. i. 1 8, 20. (i) Luk. i. 19, 26.
(21 Dan. viii. 1$. ix. 21.
(3) Luk. i. 26.
thou
An Essay o?i Spirit. 113
thou among Women. Behold^ tboufialt con- ceive in thy IVomb^ and bring forth a Son, and (Jmll call his Name Jefus. Ihen [aid Mary imto the. Angel, how jl:all this be^ feeing I know not a Man ? And the Ange l anfwered and faid unto her, the holy SpiRiTy7W/ come upon theCy and. the Power of the Highejl fhall overfhadow thee ; there ^ fore alfo that holy T^hing^ which Jhall be born of thee, fhall be called the Son of God. And Mary faid, behold the Handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy Word.
ex. Which is all the Account we have of this Affair, but that after fhe returned from her Coufin Elizabeth's, where flie had remained three Months, (5) She was found to be with Child, before foe and Jo- seph, to whom fie was e/poufd, had come to- gether ; then Jofeph her Hujhand being a (6) good-natured Man, and not willing to
(5) Mat. I. 18, 19, 20. (6) Aixato?. This Word is often ufed to fignify a gosd' jiatured Perfon, in which Senle alfo the Word jujius is fre- quently ufed in the Latin Tongue: And in this Sen fe this Word ought to be underftood, Ji^s x. zz. i yo/m i. 9.
R 2 make
124 An Essay on Spirit.
make her a public Example, was minded to put her away privately. But while he thought on thefe T'hings, behold^ the An- gel of the Lord appeared unto him in a Dream^ jaying, Jofeph thou Son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy Wife : For that which is conceived in her is of the holy Spirit, ^hen Jofeph, bei7ig raifedfrom his Sleep, did as the Angel of the Lord had bidden him^ and took unto him his Wife : y^nd knew her not till fie had brought forth her firfi'born Son.
CXI. The pre-exiflent Spirit of the Lo- gos being therefore, by the wonderful Pow- er and Will of God, conveyed into the Womb of the Virgin by the Miniftration of the holy Spirit, flie conceived and brought forth fefus : By v/hich Union of that ex- alted Spirit with human Nature, the Lo- gos became incarnate and was made Man. W^hich Logos did by this Piece of Condef- ccnfion, fo far ksycoo-s lc(.ii\Qv, (7) empty him-
(7) Phil ii. 7.
An Essay on Spirit, iiy
felfy and diveft himfelf of that Glory of his antecedent State, which he had with the Fa- ther, before the World was, that. Sin on- ly excepted, he became Uable and fubject to all the Infirmities of our Nature. And therefore, during the Time of his Continu- ance here upon Earth, he is reprefented all along as being under the Guidance andCon- du6t of the holy Spirit,
CXII. He is accordingly faid to have been (8) led up of the Spirit into the Wil- dernefs to be tempted of the Devil : And that when the (9) Devil had ended his Temptation^ Jefin returned in the Power of the Spirit into Galilee. That afterwards. He ( I ) caji out Devils by the Spirit of God, which (2) defended upon him at his Bap- tifm in a (3) vifible Manner, and abode
upon
(8) Matth. iv. I.
(9) Luke iv. 13, 14.
(1) Matth. xii. 8.
(2) "John i. 22.
(3) /'â– e. By the Defcent of a lucid fhining Appearance which alighted, and rcfted upon him, ur%i irt^-ifxf, as a.
Deve
ii6 j^n Essay on Spirit.
up07i him for fome Time. He is therefore faid to have been (4) anointed with the holy Spirit, and with Power : And that when he was in an Agony praying with Vehe- mence to God, that if poffible the Cup of his AfHidtions might pafs from him, (5) jift Angel appeared unto him Jrom Heaven, Iirengthe7ting him : That it was through (6) the eternal Spirit , that he offered himfelf without Spot to God upon the Crofs : That when he was in the Grave, he was (7) quickened by the Spirit, and (8) declared to be the So?i of God with Power, according to the Spirit of Holinefs, by the RefurreSiion from the Dead,
Do^e. Not that this alludes to the Form and Figure of the Appearance, as if it was in the Shape of a Dove ; but to the Manner of its Defcent, which defcended and alight- ed upon our Saviour, as a Dove defcends and lights upon any Thing. See Seft. 82, And Whitby on Luke iii.22.
(4) Aas X. 38. See Note in Sed. 103.
(5) Luke xx\u 42, 43.
(6) Heb. ix. 14.
(7) I Pet. iii. 18.
(8) Rem. iii. 4.
cxin.
An Essay on Spirit. 127
CXni. And indeed it does not appear, either in the Old or New Teftament, that the LiOgos had any Power over the Holy Spirit, till after his Afcenfion, (9) when all Tower was given unto khn, both in Heaven and Earth. For faid Jefus to bis Difciples, (i) // is expedient for you y that I go awayl for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you ; but if I depart / will fend him unto you. For, (2) I will pray the Father, and he fiall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever j even the Spirit of 'Truth, (s) which proceedeth from the Father : Whom I will fend to you from the Father. For as St, fohn remarks, (4) the Spirit was not yet given, becaufe fefus was not yot glorified. He therefore after his Reftirredlion, com- manded his Difciples (5) not to depart from
(9) Matth. xxviii. i8, ig.
(1) John xvi. 7.
(2) "John xiv. 1 6.
(3) John XV. 26,
(4) John vii. 39.
(5) Lide xxiv. 49. j^iffs i. 4.
Jerufalem,
xiS An Essay on Spirit.
Jerufalem, till after his Afcenfion, but to wait for the Promife of th^ Father. Which having (6) received of the Father, he fhed it forth upon them. From which Time, this Spirit is for the Future indifferently called the Spirit of God, and (7) the Spi- rit of Chriftf or (8) the Spirit of the S0J2 ; becaufe the Son had now obtained Power of the Father, to fend him, not to xhtfews only, but alfo to the Gentiles ; that all Na- tions might be baptized, (9) in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit ; ( i ) that the offering up of the Gen" tiles might be acceptable, being fanSiified by the Holy Spirit. It feems therefore highly reafonable, that we fhould pay divine Ho- mage to that holy Spirit in Proportion to the Degree of Power which hath been de-f legated to him, from the Almighty ; and that it is our Duty to pray to him, for the
(6) Afts ii. 33.
(7) Rom. viii. g.
(8) Gal iv. 6.
(9) Matth. xxviii. 19. (i) Roin. XV. 16.
Communication
Att Essay on Spirit. 129
Communication of thofe fanclifyingQiX2iCQSy which he hath receivcdj Power from God the Father, through tlie Son, to diflribute to his Difciples. I do not fay that we ought to pray to him for the Forgivenefs of our Sins, becaufe (i) all Judgment hath not been comtnitted unto him : But as he was un- doubtedly fent, to be our (3) Comforter^ to guide us into all I'riitb, and to help our In- firmities^ furely we ought to pray to him, to comfort us, and to grant us his Affif- tance, that we may be (^4) led by him, and that we may of the Spirit, reap Life ever- lafiing* And as the Manijeliation of the Spirit was given to every Man to profit withal ; and as to one^ is given by the Spi- rit the Word of Wifdom, and to an other y the Word of Knowledge, by the fame Spirit^ dividing to every Man fever ally as he will -, furely it is but reafonable, that we fhould apply to that holy Spirit, who (5) fearch-
(2) See Se£l. 85, 100, loi, 102.
(3) John XIV. zS. John xvi. 13. Rom.v'm 26. {4) Rom. viii. 14. Eph. vi. 8. i Cor. xii. 7, i^c. (5) I Cor, ii. ip.
S etb
130 Jln Essay on Spirit.
€th in our Hearts, the deep Things of God, to confer fuch a Portion of his Influence on our Minds, as may by Degrees (6) ^licken and Strengthen us, till we fhall be at length filled therewith. Lead alfo on tlie other Hand, by negle61:ing fo manifeft a Duty, we ihould thereby (7) grieve and do fuch defpite to the Spirit of Grace as entire- ly to ^lench it. See Seel. 84. 85.
CXIV. I apprehend therefore, it is mani- feftly fhevved in thefe Papers, that, from the Confideration of the Nature of Spirit, by the Light of Rcafon, it appears, there can be but one God, that is, one fupreme intelligent Agent ; which one God may however, create an infinite Series of fpiri- tual Agents, in Subordination one to ano- tlier ; fome of which may, by an Autho- rity communicated to them, from the fu- preme God, a6l as Gods, with Regard to thofe inferior Beings, who are committed
(6) 1 Pet.m. 18. Eph. iii. t6. v. 8.
(7) Eph. iv. 3. HeLx. 29. I Thef.v, 9.
into
y^;^ Essay ^« Spirit. 131
into their Charge. I apprehend it like- wife appears from the Sentiments of the Jews, as well as from the Scriptures, both of the Old and New Teftament, that this is the Method of Government, which the Almighty hath been pleafed to purfue in the OEconomy of this Univerfe ; Hill refer ving to himfelf, that incommunicable Quality of fupremei which it would be a Contradidli- on to fuppofe him diverted of, either with or without his Will ; that is either by his own Coqfcnt, or by NecefTity.
CXV. It may not therefore be improper to confider, what was the Opinion of the mod: early Fathers of the Chriftian Church upon this Head ; which though it ought to have no Weight agalnfl: the exprefs Dic- tates, either of Reafon or Revelation, yet in Points not fjlly or dillindlly revealed, the confulting of them, is very proper and ufe- ful ; as they certainly are, the bell Evidence that can pofTibly be had of the Sentiments of the Church in their Times ; and the nearer that thofe Fathers lived to the Times S 2 of
13^ ^n Essay on Spirit.
of the Apoftles, they may juftly be fup- pofed to be the lefs liable to have varied from any of the Do(5lrines or Pra(5tices of the truly primitive Church.
CXVI. Now if we confult the Opinions of the Fathers upon this Subject, for the iirft three hundred Years after Chrift, we fliall find them all univerfally agreeing in thb*^' aforementioned Dodtrinc : As may app'ear by confulting Jujiin Martyr^ Athenagoras^ Tatian, IrefKeiis^ the Author of the B.ccognitio?is, T-ertidlian^ Clemens AlexandrmuSy Origen^ Gregory T^hauma- tiirgus, Dionyfius of Alexandria^ LaSfan- tluSy Sec ; out of which it feems needlefs to produce any Quotations ; as this Point is plainly given up by two of the moft learn- ed Perfons of the lafl: Age, who being of a contrary Opinion from thofe Fathers, can- not be fufpedtcd of lightly giving up a Teflimony of fo much Confequcnce, if the Flagrancy of the Truth had not obliged them to it : And that is the learned Bifhop
Bull
An Essay on Spirit. 133
Bull, and the learned Dodlor Cudworth, The Words of Bifhop Bull, when fpeak- ing of the Sentiments of Orige?i upon this Subject, are thefe, " I conclude thus with ** myfelf, that Origen, who hath been fo " feverely cenfured by Divines, both anci- " ent and modern, was really CathoUck in' ** the Article of the facred Trinity ; al- " though, in the Manner of explaining that ** Article, he fometimes fpeaks orherwife, " than the Catholicks do ; (8) which is no ** more than almofi all the Fathers did *' who lived hejore the Couficil of Nice. As for Dr. Cudworth, he does not only give up the primitive Fathers, in their Ex- preflions, but alfo In their Meaning. For, as he undoubtedly thought himfelf to be in the Right, he imagined, thofe Fathers to have been in an Error ; and makes ufe of this univerfal Confent of the ancient Fa- thers, of the three firft Centuries, in afler- ing the Dependence and Subjection of the
(8) Quod ipfi cum reliquis fere omnibus Patribus, qui Concilium Nicaenum anteceflerunt, commune fuit, Bui- J)£f. Fid. Nic. Se(5t xi. c 9. ^. 22.
Son
((
134 ^^ Essay ofi Spirit.
Son to the Father, as an Argument in Proof of the Fallibihty of the primitive Fathers of the Chriflian Church. For, fays he, (9) ** Though it be true, that Athanafius, " writing againft the ArianSy docs appeal " to the Tradition of the ancient Church, " and among others, cites Origen's Tefti- mony ; yet was this only for the Eterni- ty and Divinity of the Son of God, but not at all for fuch an abfolute Co-equa- lity of him with the Father, as would exclude all Dependence, Subordination^ and Inferiority : Thofe ancients fo una- nimoufly agreeing therein, that they are therefore by Petavius taxed with Plato- nifm, and having by that Means, cor- rupted the Purity of the Chriitian Faith, *' in this Article of the Trinity. Which " how it can be reconciled with thofe other *' Opinions of Ecclefiaftical Tradition be- *' ing a Rule of Faith, and the Impoflibi- ** lity of the Vifible Churches erring in
((
((
n
(9) Cud. Intel. Syft. L. i. C. 4. p. 595.
n
any
/In Essay on Spirit. 135
" any Rindamcntal Point cannot, fays he, ** eafily be underflood.'*
CXVII. For my own Part, I will readi- ly give up the Fallibility of the primitive Fathers, and whoever will but give him- felf the Trouble of perufing their Writings, will foon be convinced, that they were fal- lible Men ; and I therefore only make ufe of their Teftimony in this Point, to fhew what was the Senfe of the Church in their Days, of which their own Writings are an infallible Proof ; whether they were falli- ble in themfelves or not.
CXVni. But PefavhiSy fays Cuawortb, taxed the primitive Fathers with Platonifm, and with having by that Means, corrupted the Purity of the Chriftian Faith. That many of the primitive Fathers, were bred up in the Schools o£ the Platofiic Philofo- phers can hardly be denied ; and that they would be inclined to endeavour to reconcile their own Principles and thofe of the Chri-
Ih'an
1^6 yin "Essay on Spirit.
ftian Religion together, is more than pro- bable. It is alfo certain, that the Pagans held the Do6lrine of a T'rinity, and made ufe of that Word to exprefs it by ; but if it can be proved,that they held a Subordination in the Perfons of the Irmity, before Chriftia- nity appeared in the World, and that all the primitive Chriflians, whether Platoni/is or not, held alfo the Dodlrine of a Subordina- tion of Power, in the Perfons of the 7r/- nity^ for the firfl: three hundred Years after Chrift ; then the more probable Confequence to be drawn from thence, is this, That the Doctrine of the Trinity, as held by the primi- tive Chrlftians, coinciding with the Dodtrine of the Trinity, as held by the Pagans in ge- neral, and by the Platonifts in particular, wherein a Subordination of Power be- tween the three Perfons of the Trinity was a fundamental Principle, this might be one main Rcalbn, why the Platonifts were fo ready to embrace the Chriftian Religion ; And not that they corrupted it after they
had embraced it ; fmce had their Principles,
and
-^>^ Essay ^/^ Spirit. 137
and the Chriftians on this Subjedl origi- nally differed, the Flatonijls would not have been fo eafily made Converts.
CXEX. It may therefore not be improper at prefent to fct before the Reader a fhort Sketch of the Do6lrine of the Pagan Tri- nity, from whence will appear the Truth of what I have juft now afferted.
CXX.- The Opinion of the Egyptians concerning tlie Trinity, may be found in Jamblicm^ who delivers it unto us. For in the Beginning of the Eighth Sedlion, he makes Porphyry afk, " What do the Egyp- " tians fay is the Firji Caufe ? Is it Intel- ** ledt, or fomething above Intelle(5l ? Or, *' is it one only Being, or is it two, or ** more ? Or, is it corporeal, or incor- *' poreal ? Or, is it the fame with the ** Creator of this Univerfe or fomething fu- ** perior ? In fhort, were all Things pro- *' duced by One^ or by Many ?" To which 'Jamblicm anfwereth : ripo tm orliws ov^\my TCoii TOJV oKoov Ap^oou ie^i OgoS «$, Trpcolo? xai rar
T iTiTrAl-
138 A?i Essay on Spirit.
i7ri7r^ex€]oe,i, »lg aAAo t). YlxpctS'iiyfJLCL <fi iapulcct ra ocv;o7rulpo9, auloyoya, Kcti uovgttcc^ iopos Gg8, Tbtovlcos dyct^s. Mei^ov ydp n y.aii •TTpooioVj 'jccli 7r;m im iravlcav^ vAi ttv^ixyw Toov vQUfJitvcav irpuilcav ^^oov Ivloov' aVo S'e tb eyoi Tfcf/8j oav.ccp^y/^ Ggos exvlav f^sAcLjuC^ey S^io xcci avloTTcc^upj xai av'locp^ij?, '^PX^ y^P auloi xcci Gsos ^ecov' Qfjioras Ix, ra Iros, Trposa-icts x,a.i ttpX^ TYii saiocs*J cLir ccvis yctp v\ (tcriolm noci tt aaicc' S'io yaip voT^.ctp'^ni irpoi ayopeuelxi' ' Aviui fxh ovv «Vlj/ dp^di 7rp€(r{^ulaclac.i Travlooy^ ai Epja>j5 Trpo toov a^ipKav xai fjxTroptMy viuu 7rpo^aT€{, Tcai rctiu eirapxvimu Which is thus rendered into Latin by Mr. Gale : Ante eas res qtice vere funt, C^ ante Principia univerfaliumy efl Deus unus, prior etiam primo Deo cf Rege j eft ilk immobilis in folitudine fuce Unitatis permanens, neque enim intellediuale ei mifcetur, neqiie aliquid alind^ ejlque exemplar ipfius qui efi fid Pa- ter^ & de fe genii us & unipat'er Deus ; ^ n)ere bonus. E/l enim majuSy quid & prius^ Pons omnium ^ Radix intelligibilium Idea- rum primarum Pntium. Ab hoc autem utw, Deus per fe fiifficiens fe ipje explicavtt j pro-
inde
An Essay on Spirit. 139
inde eft fui Pater & fibi fiifficie7is* E[i enim hie & Principiuniy & Deus Deoriun, Unitas ex uno Superejjentialis & EJJentia Principium ; na?72 ab eo Jinit Entitas c? Ef- Jentiay qua propter Noetarcha dicitur. Hcec igitur funt Principia omnium antiqiiijjimay qua Mercurius Jiipra Deos atJoereos & em- pyreosy C^ cceleftes conjiituit,
CXXI. I would have tranflated this Paf- fage into EnglifJd, if I could, but there are fome Parts of it which Teem to me fo fuper- intelligible,. that I thought it advifable to give it in the Author's own Words : And refer the Englifi Translation of it to fome of thofe Deiftical Admirers of the Plain- ncfs and Simplicity of the Religion of Na- ture, who cannot bear the Thoughts of any thing that is myfterious in Revealed Re- ligion.
CXXII. Abftrufe and dark however, as it i?, we may be furnifhed by it with fome Light towards the Explanation of fome Ex- preffions in the Pythagorean Trinity, as it
T 2 \%
140 An Essay 07t Spirit.
is given us by ( i ) ^implichis in his Com- ment on Arifiotle out of Moderatus the Py- thagorean : to fj-h Trpulov 'iv vTep to ov xcei iroLioLv b(netv aTrctpctivSicci' to Se Setjlepov ev oTip e^i TO ovmi oi', x.ai JNowJok, ra «d^>) ^n- a/f &ivcci' no S'e Tptiovy oirep e(^i "^u^i^ovy fxe^s^Eiv ra lpo5, xa; to^j/ ei^Zv. For it is plain that the Trpojlov Iv vir^p to ov xai ir^crccv ya-Uv^ of the Pythagoreans, that is, /i6f F/;^? O/ze" ivho is above Being, and all Rxiftence, is the fame (I had almoft faid Being) with that God of the Egyptians, who being prior to the Firfl: God, is Super-Litelligible. 1 flat tne to deulepov gv ott?^ gij'i to oviMi or, xa< NoJjIoV, Ta a'cT/j (p/)o-)j' «va<. That is, tbe Secoitd One, who is Exiftence itfelf, and Intelligence, and is called Ide.'\, is that Firft, or rather Second God aforemention- ed, who according to the Egyptians^ hav- ing unfolded himfelf, came forth into Be- ing, and w^as felf-begotten, and was equally his own Father and his own Son, who is the Principle of all Exiftence, and of all
(l) 5;w/>. in Phyf. Ariji, fol. 50.
Intelligence.-
A?! Essay 07i Spirit. 141
Intelligence. As to the <ro t^\%v \vy or l^hird OnCy of the Pythagoreans^ which they call ^t>;:^/3toV, or AnimaU that anfwers to the third and lower Clafs of the Empi- rean and ^iherial Deities, who were fup- pofcd to prefide over feveral Parts of this Univerfe, being as it were the Souls of this World.
CXXin. The Platonic Trinity, as it was digefted into Form by the Difciples of Plato, was not very different from this. There is indeed no one Padage in Plato, w^here his Notion of a Deity is delivered explicitly, and reduced into a regular Syf- tem. For, either out of Fear of his Coun- trymen, or becaufe he was not fettled in his own Notions, or both, he fpeaks very ob- fcurely on this Subjedt. That Treatife which he entitles Timaiis is the moil: co- pious on this Head, and therein he fpeaks plainly of (2) one fempiternal and unorigi- nated God. Which God, fays PlatOy when
(2) TO e» ««, yen<rn It wk t^ov.
he
142- -^^^ Essay on Spirit.
he reafoned within himfelf about a future God, made this Univerfc, and placed this (3) perfectly happy God which lie begat, as the Soul in the Middle of it.
CXXIV. Which God, though he fre* ^ucntly mentions as a created Being, yet he ftiles him alfo (4) the Image of Intelli- gencey or of the moft intelligent God ; the greateji and be ft j the mod beautiful^ and the moft perfeBy and the only-begotten God. Which Univerfe, fays Plato, when he had thus made and (5) contemplated, he rejoi- ced over it. He then made T!ime, and (6) formed the Sun and Moon, and five other Planets to be the Meafures thereof. But as there were yet no Animals, therefore God
(2) luoaifAoa mov ocvlov lymriaMo.
(4) Eix.o)ia TtJ vor^y, (juiytfov x.ou aftfot. *aMir*f ««» riKuu- lalov. and MovoyEi/fl.
(5) Whoever reads this, I think, cannot avoid being convinced that Plato herein imitates the Account which Mofis gives of the Creation, which he finilhes with faying, andGod fa<vj every thing that he had made, and behold it nvas fuery good. Gen. i. 31.
(6) 'H?iio? Kcti Se^w»!, x»» 'tiy\i aXAa arfa. WiX^aytxovla II7i.«»»;1>)?, «? oiopi6rj/.ov xai (pv'Ka.Kiiv afihybuv %pof« yiyoviv- See
Gemjis i. 14 ; of which this is almoll aTranflation.
formed
/l7i Essay on Spirit. 145
formed what was wanting, by a fecondary
Imitation of the fir ft Exemplar : Trpoi r^v t5' 7roipa.S'eiyfj[,cc\o9 d7ro%7r(iy.evoi (pva-iv. Which is plainly borrowed from that Do6trine* among the yews, wherein they aflerted Man not to be made in the Image of the Supreme God, but of the Second God. The Words of Philo Judceus, as they are quoted by EufebiiiSy are, ^vnlov yap ovS'h ccTreiKovi^yiyaci Trpcs roy avmonoy vAi Trcclepcty Tcoy o^ojv eS'vi'ouoy aAAa Tpoi ' Tpv S^svlepov 6goV, 05 e<^iu ea&vs ?\.ayo5. Nihil ' enim mor- tale in fiimmi illius G? rerum univerfartan Parentis imaginem confignari poteli, fed in Ijnagi?iem Secundi Dei, hoc efi ejus Verbis potefi. Eufeb. Prasp. Evang. lib. vii. cap.
13-
CXXV. Plato then, in Compliance with the orthodox Notion of his Country, and for Fear of the Fate o£ Socrates, fays, But as to other Gods which are called (7) Dcemons, to fpcak properly of their Origin or even to
{7) See Sea. XXXV.
conceive
144 ^^ Essay 07i Spirit.
conceive It, is above the Reach of our Fa- culties ; it is therefore our Duty to believe thofe our Anceftors, who having unfolded their Natures, affirm them to be the off- fpring of the Gods ; and fo to fubmit our- fclves to the ancient Laws and Cuftoms. And then he introduces the God who (8) framed all Things as fpcaking to thefe Dae- mons, Saturn^ Ops, Jupiter, &c, whom he calls (9) the Gods begotten by himfelf ; and empowers them to be his Inftruments in the Produ6tion of animals, and (i) to imitate that Virtue which he had exercifed in their Origin.
CXXVL Whence it Is plain, that Plafo was afraid to fpeak out ; but his Difciples by Degrees gathering Courage, his Syftem was reduced into Form, before the Time of (2) Porphyry, who in his fourth Book
(8) O? TO TToiv yiyracn,
[g] To?; EaJls yivrifxa, j-i.
(l) Mi(/Aifjuwoi TTiv 6|M.»!v ^t'va/xiv TTff* rr,)i lf/.t}y yivicrif.
iz) Porphpy flouriflied about the latter End of the third Century : His Books were afterwards ordsred to be burnt ; bat the Quotation which I have here produced may be found in St. Cjril'i Treatife againliyw/;^/;. B. 8.
of
An Essay on Spirit. 145 of the Hlftory of Philofophy, fays, "A%e/ ^
f^^eiv Baiaiv' iivcti il r \j^ dvoilcclov^ ^iov
ad tres Hypoftafes, dicit Plato, Dei progredi Ejjentiam ; G? ejje quidem dicit Deum fumme bonum ; pofi ilium autem fecundum Con- dltorem : tertium autem Mundi Animam.
CXXVII. Porphyry was reckoned the mod learned Platoniji of his Age ; And flourifhed about the Time when the con- fubftantial Doctrine of the Trinity began to make a Noife ; and therefore his Senfe of the Platonick Do(5trine, js fo much the more for our Purpofe. It appears therefore from hence, that the Platonick and Pythagorean Doclrine of the Trinity, did not differ very widely at this Time one from the other, and that that God of the Egyptians^ which was prior to the firft, or the npwiov Iv of the Pythagortans was .the fame with the to eV, and the to dya^ov of U the
1^6 An Essay on Spirit.
the Platonifts. The God of Exijlence, Ideas, or Litelligencey according to the Egyptians, or the to S'Apov h of the Py- thagoreans, which they alfo called eiS^Yi, Idea, being by the Platoitifh called Nas and Koyo?i i. e. Mind and Reafony or Wifdonu And the inferior Clafs of aetherial Deities, who were confidered as the Soul of the World, among the Egyptians, anfwering to the T/)i1oi/ iv or the iv ^u;^zjcoV of the Pythago- reans, being called "^^x^* ^' ^' ^^^ ^ouJ, by the Plato?iiJis.
CXXVin. They agreed alfo In the Of- iices which were afUgned to thefe I^hree Gods* For the Firft was aderted to be Ct^^ above all Exiftence and Intelligence. The Second God was Exiftence and Intelligence itfelf, and the Communicator of them to other Beings : He Is therefore reprefented by them as the Avifjuapyoit the Fabricator and Maker of this Frame of the Univerfe. The Third God, who is faid to partake both of the Firft and Second "Er, or God,
was
An Essay on Spirit. 147
was held to be the Soul of the World, vivifying and enlivening it.
CXXIX. Hence it is plain, however, that the Difciples of Plato had varied from their Maker's Plan. Becaufe he pofitively afferts the one unoriginated God to have made this Uni- verfe, and therefore frequently calls him the (3) Anfj(,iiipyoi. He likewife pofitively ailerts the Second, that is, the God who was begot- ten by the one unoriginated God, to have been placed by him in the Middle of this round Univerfe as the (4) the Soul of it,
CXXX. It is neverthelefs manifefl:, be- yond all Controverfy, that both Plato and his Difciples held a Kind of eflential Subor- dination to have exifted between thefe Gods, as the Hebrews undoubtedly did. And therefore I fuppofe them to have been more eafily converted to the Chriftian Religion than they otherwife would have been.
(3) Plato in Timao.
(4) Id, ibid.
U 2 CXXXI. And
148 An Essay on Spirit,
CXXXI. And accordingly, Clemens AleX' andrinuSf one of thofe primitive Fathers whom Cudworth allows to ha\e acknow- ledged a Subordination In the Perfons of the Trinity, when fpcaking concerning a PaiTage in Plato, fays, (5) " / under- " ft and this no otherwife than that the holy *' trinity is Jignified thereby^ theTniKD *' being the holy Spirit, and the Second *' the Son, by whojii all Takings were made, *' according to the Will oj /^(? Father." This PafTage to which Clemens refers is to be found in the fecond Epiftle of Plato to Di'onyfiiiSy on account of his having com- plained that Plato was not explicit enough in what he faid about the Firft Caufe, to whom Plato fays, *' That thefe Things ** muft be fpoken of in a Kind of Riddle, ** that if any Accident fhould happen to ** thefe Papers either by Land or Sea, he ** that finds them may not be able to un- ** derfland them. The Thing therefore
(5) Clem. Alex, Stroip. lib. v. p. 710. Edit. pot.
" fays
Ati Essay on Spirit. 149
" fays he, ftands thus : ns/») tcJj/ ttcIvImv /3a- ** (TiAsac ttclA e<j-), xoci ex^eiVM iiceivct Trdvlct^ »jat ey.eivo aiiiov airavlcavTuv xaAfiwi'. diulf ** pov Sfy Trepl Tcc ^suieptzy xai Tpiloi' Trg^r ** Tot rpiloc." Circa omnium Regent funt Qtnnia^ & illius Caiifa omnia : & Ipje ejl omnium Rerwn pulchrarmn Caufa : Se- cwjdufn ad Secimda : T^ertiiun ad T'ertia, Which Fear of a Difcovery accounts for the feemlng Contradicllons in Plato, and the Darknefs in which his Theology is in- volved, and fhews that his Difciples were indeed obliged to pick his Do6trine out of Riddles, as he himfelf expreffcth It.
CXXXII. But (6) St. Cyril of Alexan- dria, who was of the contrary Opinion from Clemens AlexandrinuSy that is, who held a Coequality in the Perfons of the Trinity, for he lived in the fifth Century, and about 100 Years after the Council of ISIice, wherein the Confubftantiality of the Father and Son was firft eftabliihed in the
(6) Cyril cont. Jul. lib, viii,
Chri/lian
150 j^n Essay on Spirit.
Chriftian Church ; CyriU I fay, when fpeaking of the P/j/ow> Philofophy, (7) fays," There " would have been nothing at all wanting ** to the Platonic Trinity, for an abfolute ** Agreement of it with the Chrijlian, had ** they but accommodated the right Notion ** of Confiibftantiality to their three HypoJ^ ** tafes ; fo that there might have been but ** one fpecific Nature or EfTence of the â– * Godhead, not diftinguifhable by any na- ** tural Diverfity, and fo no one Hypojiajis *' any Way inferior or fubordinate to ano- *' ther.
CXXXni. As for the Dodtrine of the three Hypoftafes, which is here mentioned by Cyrily that was not the Dodlrine of the Council of Nicey but was the Dodlrine of the ArianSy as well as of the Platonifls, It was indeed afterwards adopted by fome of the Conjubftantialijisy and was inferted in that Creed which goes under the Name of Athafjafius ; but which could not poflibly
{7) Cjril cont. Jul. lib. viii.
have
A?i Essay on Spirit. i ji
have been written by him, becaufe lie, as well as the reft of the Nicene Fathers, in- fifted upon it, that there was but (8) one Hypojiafis in the Trinity, any more than one VJia^ fince they, contrary to the Do<$lrine of the PlatoniftSf fuppofed thofe two Words to mean one and the fame thing, in which how- ever they were certainly fo far in the right. For the Word OuaU literally fignifies a Being , or Exi/Ience ; and the Word 'Tiro^^oLai', lite- rally fignifies a Sub(ijlence, or Subftance ; which hath been fhewed in the (9) Begin- ning of this Treatife, to be the fame with a Being, or Exiftence, And accordingly, the Greek Word 'Oualcc Is generally tranfla- ted by the Latin Word Subftantia. (i) Socrates the Ecclefiaftical Hiftorian, who lived after Cyril, and was a very zealous Confubjlantialijiy when giving his Opinion
{8) Athanajiui, in his Treatife on the Synods of Ariminum and Seleucia, (Vol. i. p. 934) which was written toward* the latter End of his Life, pofitively afTerts : r, ^l iVoras-if «(7ia £n> «M" ^ot* aXXe <rt)(A«t»o|*£»o» 5X«. Hypoftajis enim idem cum \Jsi\ fuhjlantia ejl, nee aliamJignif.cationcmbabet. And %o the fame Purpofe in feveral other Places.
(9) See Sea. II.
(1) Socrat. Ecclef. Hifl. lib. iii. cap. 7.
concerning
iji An Essay o?i Spirit.
concerning the Meaning of the Word 'Ttto^cc- o-i$, fays, " that this Word according to *' IraneuSf was a barbarous Word ; and ** was not to be found among the ancient ** Authors. But, fays Socrates y it is ufcd ** by Sophocles to fignify a T'rap^ or Pitfall, *' to catch any thing in ; and by Menander ** to fignify the Sedement of any thing ; as ** for Example, if any one fhould call the *' hees of Wine which fall to the Bottom ** an Hypo/lafis. But though this Word *' was not ufcd by the more ancient Philo- ** fophers, yet, fays he, you muft under- ** ftand that the Moderns make Ufe of it ** inftead of 'Ot;o-ia." To fay therefore that the three Perfons in the Trinity are o?ie JJfia and three Hypoflafes, is the fame thing as to fay, that they are one Siibftance and three Siihjlances at the fame Time ; which I take to be a Contradiction in Terms, and therefore cannot be affirmed even of God himfelf.
CXXXIV. For
An Essay on Spirit. 153
CXXXIV. For when it is faid in the Nicene Creed, that the Son is (2) Ix t)i« t*o-/a$ Ta TTcclpoij of the Subjiance of the Fa- ther, and that he is cfJLOBdios tw Trcclfh f one Subjiance with the Father, it is not meant thereby that he is of one and the fame Kind of Subftance with the Father, but that he is actually one and the fame undivi- ded Subftance with the Father. Wherein then, you will fay, does the Difference con- fift ? Why, according to Cyril, not in any natural Diver/ity, but mma^immiiy only ; that is, in being faid to be three Subflanccs, at the fame Time that they are but one Sub- ftance.
CXXXV. I am very fenfible that in our Englifh Tranflation of the Creed, com- monly called the Athanafian Creed, we have followed the Church of Rome, whofe Infal- libility can give what Signification it pleafes
(a) This is omitted out of our Englijh Copy of the Ki- cene Creed, though it was undoubtedly in the original Gretk,
X to
154 ^^ Essay on Spirit.
to Words ; in rendering the Word 'TTrlxroe^cn, by the Rjiglijh Word Perfon, that Church having rendered it by the Latin Word Per^ jona. But let us fee whether this will mend the Matter, which we fhall find it does not, unlefs we make Ufe of a fhameful Kind of Equivocation, by ufing the Word Perfon in two different Scnfes ; or rather, in no Senfe at all. For that the Word Perfon is capable of two different Senfes being put upon it is very plain ; thus it is fometimes made Ufe of to denote that identical Perfonality% ivhereby any o?ie intelligent Agent is dijiin- guijloed frotn any other intelligent Agent. As for Example, when it is faid, Numb. v. 6, 7. " Vv^hcn a Man or Woman fhall com- " mit any Sin that Men commit, to do a " Trefpafs againft the Lord, and that Per- ** fon be guilty ; then they fhall confefs " their Sin which they have done," &c. In this Place, the Word Per/on is here put to denote the Man or Woman who was guilty of the Trefpafs : And can never (ig- nify any other Man or Woman, but the of- fending one only ; nor any more Perfons
than
An Essay on Spirit, ijj
than thofe that were guilty. According to which Senfe of the Word every fcparate Perfon mufl: be confidered as a feparate in- telligent Agent, and every feparate intelli- gent Agent muft be confidered as a feparate Perfon from every other intelligent Agent, and will for ever, if he exifts fo long, be the fame Perfon he was, whether he repents or not, whether he is young, or old ; or whether he exifts in this World, or in the next. And it would be a Contradi<5lion in Terms to fay, that this one Perfon is two different Perfons, or that two different Per- fons is this fame Perfon ; for hence it is that the common Expreflion takes its Rife, when fpcaking of any one Man, we fay, this is the very hidividual Perfon, who did fuch or fuch a Fadl, becaufe, if he could be divided, he would be no longer the fame Perfon.
CXXXVI. But in this Senfe of the
Word, the Confubftanti ah/is will not allow
the Word Perfon to be applied to the three
Perfons in the Trinity, becaufe this would
X 2 make
I 5^ An Essay on Spirit.
make them as much three feparate Beings, as MattheWy Mark, and Luke, are tliree feparate Men : And would contradict the Homouftan Doclrine, which fuppofes the three Perfons of the Trinity to be one un- divided Subftance, or as Cyril expredeth it, one Jpecijic Nature, or Kfjence.
CXXIiVII. Sometimes however this Word Perjbn is made Ufe of to denote only the Relation which one intelligent Agent bears to another ; or the diftinguifhing Mark of his Character, whereby he is to be known from other intelligent Agents, or even from himfelf, either at different Times, or in different Circumftances. In which Scnfe of the Word the fame individual Perfon, or in- telligent Agent, may be confidered as twenty different Perfons all at the fame Time. For thus the fame intelligent Agent may be con- fidered in the Perfon of a King, of a General, of an Ally, of a Philofophcr, of a Father, or of a Son,^of an Huf- band, or of a Batchellor, of an old Man, cr of a young Man, ^c, &c. For,
^;^ Essay (?;? Spirit. 1J7
fays Stephens, In his Latin T'hefauruSy Per- fona Jignificat ^alitatem earn qua homo differt ab homine^ turn in anima, turn in corpore, turn in extra pofitis 5 quce a Rloeto- ricis anumerantur in Attributis Ferfonce : ut HeBor ad Priamum Perfona Filii e/l ; ad AjiyanaBem Perfona Patris ; ad An- dromachem Perfona Mariti ; ad Paridem Perfona Fratris j ad Sarpedonem Amici ; ad Achille7n Perfona Inimici. In which Senfe of the Word it is that that Ex- preflion mufi: be underflood, when Mo- fes faith of God, that he (3) regardeth not Perfons, by which is meant, not that God regardeth not Mankind, as they are fb many inteUigent Agents, but that he doth not refpe(5l Men on account of their perfonal Circumftances, or Charadlers, or Figure, or Relation in Life : But neither will the Confubflantialijls allow this Interpretation of the Word Perfon^w^% applied to the three Perfons in the Trinity, fo m to be under- ftood as if they were only three different
(}) Deut. X. 17. Matth, XX\\, 16. Mar. xii. 14.-
Perfonages,
158 Jj7i Essay on Spirit.
Perfonages, or Chara(5lers, or Attributes, of the fame Being ; becaufe that would be manifefl: Sahellianifmy and would not allow any real Exiftence to any of them but one.
CXXXVIII. And though they fay that one of thefe Perfons is the Father, and the other S^on ; they will not allow one to be prior or pofterior to the other ; but declare them both to be coequal and coeternal, which is by no Means confident with the Relation that there is between Father and Son : For though the Relation between two coequal coeternal Beings might bear fome Analogy to the Denomination of Brothers, yet It feems abfolutely inconfiftent with that of Father and Son.
CXXXIX. But, In order to condudl us a little further into the Knowledge of this Affair, it may be proper to enquire into the Reafbns which feem to have led the Compi- lers of the Nicene Creed into this Determi^
nation
An Essay on Spirit, IJ9
nation of the Confubftantiality of the Fa- ther and Son.
CXL. The Do6trine of Arius was, that the Son being begotten of the Father before all I'lmes and all ^ges, fubpjled only through the Will of the Father : But that he was not eternal, that is, coeternal with the Fa- ther J nor did he come into Exi/ience along with the Father,
CXLI. In order to refute which Doc- trine, the Nicene BIfliops compofed a Creed, w^herein they afTerted the Son to be of the Subjlance of the Father, and confuhjlantial with the Father ; and at the End of the Creed annexed thefe three Anathemas, or damnatory Claufes : {4) tous ^\ heyov'iaioliriv TToVe ole tiK riv, x,(x,t 7rp\v ytvvn^nvai ex riu, 5car oil l| &)c oviojv lyevslOf ri l^ iiepai uiroc^ciaectii D Qiiaiai (poca-ycovlcci etvcci, >? x,h(^6tVj m TpeTrloi/, if dXKoiOiilov rev uiov tb oga, dvcc'^ijjt.o^ll^ei n ciyicc Ka9oA(X>) xai ctTroij'oAiJOi eJocATjo^ia.
' (4) Socrat, Eccl. Hill. lib. i. cap. 8.
But
i6o An Essay on Spirit.
But they who Jay^ Ihere was a T.me when the Son was not, and that he did not exijl be- fore he was begotten : Or that fay ^ he was be- gotten out of nothing : Or that fay he exijied out of any other Hypostasis, or Usia, than the Father ; or was created, or is li- able to Mutation or Change, the Holy Catho" lick Apoflolic Church anatkematifes,
CXLII. From whence it may be obfer- ved in the firft Place, that thefe Fathers un- derftood the Words Ufa and Hypoftafis in the fame Senfe, fo as to mean one and the fame thing ; and that as the Son was of the fame undivided, or individual Vfia, fo was he alfo the fame undivided or individual Hypoflafs with the Father. And pofFibly this may be the Reafon why thefe Ana- themas are omitted out of our prefent Ni- cene Creed ; becaufe they contradidl in Terms the Athanafan Creed, which aflerts, that ** there is one Hypofla/is of the Father, *' and another of the Son, and another of *' the holy Spirit."
CXLIII. But
An Essay 07t Spirit. i6i
CXLIII. But it does not feem fo eafy to explain what is meant by the firft Anathema : Curfed be they who fay^ Inhere was a Time ivhen the Son was not ; and that he did not exiji before he was begotten. However, if it means any thing, it mufl: be this ; that whereas the Arians afTerted that the Son was begotten before all Time, and before all Ages ; Neverthelefs they aflertcd, that although they would allow he might, upon that Account, in fome Senfe be called eter- nal ; yet that the Son could not be cocternal with the Father, becaufe the Begetter muft have exilled before the Begotten. In order therefore to invalidate the Force of this Ar- gument, and make the Son neverthelefs co- eternal with the Father, the Nicene Bi- (hops, fmce they could not deny but the Be- getter mufl: have exifted before the Begot- ten, feemed to have framed this Anathema, wherein they alTert, in Imitation of Ire- ticeus, and fome few other metaphyseal Writers, that the Son did exifl: before he wa5 begotten : That is, that he did poten-
Y tially
i6i j^n Essay on Spirit.
tially exift In the Subflance of the Father, out of v.'hich he was afterwards begotten.
CXLIV. And this is the Reafon why they- likewlfe anathematifed, in the fecond Place, thofc who fhould fay, that the Son was begotten out of Nothing, In order to eftablifh the foliowins Dodtrlne of the Son being begotten out of the Subftance of the Father ; which Subftance being undoubt- edly coeternal with the Father, therefore the Son, who virtually (5) or potentially exifted in it, muft, according to their Me- thod of reafoning, alfo be coeternal.
CXLV. But, with humble Submiilion to fuch great Authority, this AfTertion abfo- lutely deilroys the modern favourite Doc- trine of the eternal Generation of the Son ; Becaufe that although it fhould be allowed that the Son might pofTibly have virtually fubfiired from all Eternity, in the Subftance,
(0 AfvafAffi r,v VI ru •jreCp aymv'olui;. Potcntia. ernt in Par iic^ iiigmta quadam i-atione. Theod. Ecclef. Hift. lib. i. cap. \%. ....:•,..
or
An EssAV on SfikiT. 163
or Mind, of the Father, as every thing did, that either hath exifted, or ever will exift, yet I fuppofe it a Contradidtion in Terms to fay, that he exifted, as a Son, till he was begotten. And therefore that the A//- cene Fathers have anathematlfed all fuch as will not affirm a (6) Contradidlion.
CXLVL And I cannot help faying, It is fomething odd to have thefe two Creeds eftablifhed in the fame Church, in one of which thofe are declared to be accurfedy who deny the Son to be of the fame Up.a, or Hypojiafis with the Father ; and In the other, it is declared they cannot be failed who do not aflfert that (7) there is one Hy- pojiafis of the Father, and another of the Son, and another of the Holy GhofL
CXLVn. But, in order to obviate all thefe Obje(Stions, It is thought fufficient, by
(6) For the Aflertions of the Arinns were ?» vQa, ole I wo? »K flr. {iff. That there ivar (a Time; ivi>en the Son tvits mt. ^c. Athan. Vol. I. p. 97. -'
(7) Athanajian Creed.
' - â– Y 2 fome,
1^4 -^^^ Essay on Spirit.
fome, to fay, that there are many Powers in the Divine Nature, which human Beings are not capable of comprehending. Nay, fo far are we Mortals from being able to comprehend the Divine Nature, that we know very little of the Things which are on Earth ; that there is not one, of all the various Things which furround us, that does not contain fomething in its Frame and Conftitution, which is beyond the Abi- lities of the moll: fubtle Philofopher to ex- plain.
CXLVIII. Be it fo. — Let us then ac- knowledge the narrow Limits of the hu- man Underftanding ; which, I think, no- body, who looks within himfelf, can be without fenfibly feeing and feeling : But then let us not turn fuch violent Sceptics, as to aflert that, becaufe we do not know every Thing, therefore we know nothing : That becaufe we cannot fee by Night as well as by Day, therefore we muft not believe our own Eyes, even when the Sun fhines di- rectly over our Heads.
CXLIX. I
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CXLIX. I fliall therefore take it for granted, that there are fome Truths in Na- ture, that are level to our Underftandings, and that we may pronounce with fome De- gree of Certainty, for Example, that two and two make four ; and that it is a Contradic- tion in Terms to fay, that the fame indivi- dual Subftance, whether fpiritual, or corpo- real, can be, and not be, at the fame Time, and in the fame Place. Now, if the Know- ledge of thefe Propofitions is within the Reach of our Underftanding, then we may fafely affirm, if the Father and Son are confiibftantiaU that is, if the Subftancc of the Father be the fame undivided Subllance with the Son ; and that the Subftance of the Son did enter into the Womb of the Virgin Mary, and became incarnate ; that then it will follow, of Confequence, that the Subftance of the Father did enter into the Virgin's Womb, and was incarnate alfo. Since otherwife, one and the fame indivi- dual Subftance may be, and not be, at the fame Time, and in the fame Place.
CL. Again,
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CL. Again, if tliis Propofition be taken for granted, which may be found totidem Verbis, in the Athanafian Creed, that as the reafonable Soul and Flejh is one Man j fo God and Man is one Chrifi:. And if this other Propofition be allowed, which may be found as expHcitly in the Scriptures, that this one (8) Chriji Juffered for the Sins of Man- kind ; then it muft follow, of Confequence, that Chrifi fufFered in his Godhead, as well as his Humanity ; fmce otherwife, it would have been the Man "J ejus, and not Jefus the Mejjiahy or ChriJl, that fuifered for the Sins of Men.
CLI. Now as the Confideration of thefe Things is, fo far at leafl, within the Reach of our Capacities, if we fuppofe the Pre- mifes aforementioned to be true, which the Confuhftantialijls will hardly deny ; the Con- clufions, which they will not allow, are,
(8) Beh.'ix. 28. 1 Vet. ii. 21. iii. 18.
neverthelcfs.
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neverthelefs, as demonilrably true, as any Propofition in the Mathematics.
CLII. But let us go a little flirther, and fuppofe, for the prefent, that thefe Things were above our Comprehenfion ; and then I fhould be glad to be informed of the Rea- fons why thofe very Perfons, who roar fb loud againfl the vain Attempts of Men, in fcrutinizing the Things which belong imto Heaven, Ihould take upon them to explain thofe Doctrines, which they themfelves de- clare to be above the Reach of human Un- derllandings.
CLIII. When the Papifis want to per- fuade Men out of their Senfes, and to pre- vail upon Prote/lants to acknowledge the abfurd Doctrine of Tranfubftantiationf they are very ample and florid in their Deck, mations upon the Immenfity, and Incom- prehenfiblenefs of God, and his Attributes ; and upon the Minutenefs and Infufficicncy of human Abilicies ; and are always fetting fgrth, in the flrongeft Terms, how little
we
i68 An Essay on Spirit.
\ft know, and how much we are ignorant. And therefore, fay they, fince our Saviour hath faid, this is my Body, and this is my Bloody we ought to believe it to be fo, though we could not comprehend the Man- ner how.
CLIV. All which would be undoubtedly right, and true, if they were to go no fur- ther. But if what they fay be true, about the Weaknefs of human Underftandings, how come they to have Abilities for explai- ning thofe Myfteries, which the reft of Mankind are fo unequal to the Enquiry in- to ? Why do they pretend to fay, that this Myftery confifts in a 'Jranfubjiaiitiatton of the Elements, when there is no fuch Word in the Scriptures ?
CLV. And fince it muft be undoubtedly acknowledged, that the Belief in any Myf- tery can be no further required as neceffary to Salvation, than in Proportion as that Myftery is revealed ; if this be a Myftery, furely they ought to leave it, as they found
it.
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It, and not prefume to explain that, which they declare to be inexplicable.
CLVI. And is not this Method of rea- foning as ftrong, with regard to Conjubftan- tiation as ^ranfubjiantiation ? It certainly is. And therefore when the Troteftants argue againft the Dodlrine of ^ranfubjlan- tiation^ the Fapijis never fail objedling the equal Incredibility of a conftibjiantial Tri- nity.
' \ CLVn. The Do(5lrine of the Trinity IS as certainly revealed in the 1 9th Verfe of the xxviiith Chapter of St. Matthew^ as the Dodtrine of the Euchariji is, in the 26th Verfe of the xxvith Chapter of the fame Evangelift : But the Scriptures are as filent about the Confubjlantiality of the one, as about the T!ranfubflantiatio7i of the other. Whence then came the Revelation of thefe wonderful Do<5lrines ? Why ! both originally from the fame Oracle ; from the Papal
Chair. '
/
Z CLVIII.
I/O j^n Essay on Spirit.
CLVIII. I think it therefore incumbent on thofe Profejiant Bifhops, who hold the Doctrine of a confubflantial Trinity, to in- form us of the Rcafons, why the Infallibi- lity of the Pope mufl be acknowledged in one of thefe Inftanccs, and not in the other. And why, if their Eyes are fufficient to let them fee, as well as the Pope, that the three Perfons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are one coeternal, coequal, and undivided Subftance, when we undertake to argue againft it, they fhould fay to us. Ye are blind ! ye arc blind ! Or, why if we are blind, though they are not, this meta- phyficai Difpute (hould be made a Part of the public Service of the Church, which is an AiTembly compofed, not only of quick- fighted Philofophers, but of the lowefl of the People, who arc required there to give their Affent to thefe equivocal, if not con- tradidlory, Interpretations of Scripture, un- der the Penalty of eternal Damnation ; and to declare that every one who doth not keep this Faith whole and undefiledy without
Doubt,
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Doubty Jhall peri(h everlaftingly ; and that this is the catholic Faith, which, except a Man believe faithfully, he cannot be faved.
CLEX. I fhall accordingly expedt fome of the Right Reverend Members of the Protejiant Church of Ireland, either to ac- count for this, or to exonerate their Con- fciences, by joining in an humble Remon- ftrance againft it : And I do promife, if any of them fliall deign to honour this Treatife with an Anfwer, that, if it pleafeth God to fpare my Life, it fhall fpeedily be follow- ed, either by a Recantation, or a Reply,
FINIS.